Lifestyle

#SpotlightAfricaThrowBackSeries Ado-Ekiti Indigenes Celebrate the Life and Times of Late Chief Ogunremi

Ado-Ekiti witnessed an outpouring of tributes as family, friends, and dignitaries gathered to honour the life of High Chief Oluwasesan Ogunremi, the Barafon of Ado-Ekiti and a respected leader of the traditional warlord chiefs in the kingdom.

The funeral began with a Christian wake and service of songs at the open grounds of St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Ado-Ekiti, before proceeding to the deceased’s compound in the Idolofin axis of the town for the main service. The ceremony, attended by top figures from within and outside Ekiti, featured prayers, thanksgiving, and eulogies in recognition of the late chief’s contributions to his community.

Following the service, Chief Ogunremi’s remains were interred at his residence, accompanied by hymns and tributes from relatives and well-wishers.

A reception later took place at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, where guests—including family members who travelled from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany—were entertained with a lavish banquet. The event featured a performance by renowned gospel and highlife singer Evangelist Yinka Ayefele, while veteran emcee Olushola Oladele, popularly known as Pa Aristoe, anchored the proceedings.

The gathering attracted prominent personalities such as Mr. Babatope Adebiyi (King Jafil), Mr. Goke Olatunji, Regent Omotunde Adelabu, Hon. Abiodun Fawekun of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, members of the Ewi-in-Council, lawmakers, politicians, business leaders, and artisans.

Born on February 7, 1929, to Mr. Williams Akomolafe Ogunremi and Princess Abigail Ogunremi in Ado-Ekiti, Chief Ogunremi began his education at St. George’s Primary School, Agere, before moving to Lagos for electrical training. He later founded the well-known Micho Electronics and worked with business figures such as Chief Lawrence Omole and Chief Ajanaku in Ilesha.

He married his first wife in Ilesha, where the ceremony was held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. In 1970, he returned to Ado-Ekiti and established Micho Motors, expanding his business interests into the automobile sector. His ventures took him across Europe, including Austria, Brussels, Italy, and Germany.

In July 1988, he was installed as the Barafon of Ado-Ekiti by Oba George Adelabu, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti. He became widely known for hosting the Udiroko Festival at his Okeilaja palace, a major cultural event that drew indigenes and chiefs before culminating in celebrations at the Ewi’s Palace. He later served as commissioner of the Ekiti State Electricity Board during the administration of Governor Adeniyi Adebayo.

Until his passing, Chief Ogunremi remained an active member of St. Patrick Catholic Cathedral, Ado-Ekiti. He is survived by his wives, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Entertainment

My mum is my God, my dad is my God’ — 9ice

Singer 9ice has sparked debate after saying his parents are his “God” and rejecting other deities, months after revealing he has practised as a Babalawo for 18 years.

9ice is once again at the centre of online debate after declaring that his parents, not any deity, occupy the highest spiritual place in his life.

In a video posted to his Instagram on Sunday, the artist said: “Today I’ll tell you something I don’t really talk about, but I’ll talk today. I love my mum, I love my dad, my god is my mum, my father is my god.” He went further in the comments, clarifying that the reverence typically reserved for an unseen God should instead be directed at one’s parents.

The singer didn’t stop there. “I don’t believe in inferior Gods,” he added, distancing himself from the worship of any other spiritual beings and insisting his belief system doesn’t fit neatly into traditional religious structures.

Predictably, the internet had thoughts, and most of them weren’t kind. A large chunk of reactions accused him of being under the influence of something, with many dismissing the statement outright rather than engaging with it.

This isn’t 9ice’s first brush with this kind of controversy, and that’s part of why the latest clip spread as fast as it did. Back in April, he went viral for a different but related rant, this time aimed squarely at Nigeria’s religious culture.

“You’ll leave Nigeria and go to Mecca to go and lick rock all in the name of Kabba,” he said then, arguing that decades of national prayer hadn’t translated into national progress. He compared Nigeria’s work ethic unfavourably to London’s, joking that between church on Sunday, Bible study on Wednesday and vigil on Friday, “when would you work?”

Some Nigerians found merit in his earlier point about productivity versus performative religiosity. Far fewer have extended that same patience to his spiritual claims, with both the Babalawo reveal and now this parental-deity comparison landing mostly as fodder for mockery rather than genuine reflection.

Entertainment

I Will Focus On African Music and culture – Davido

In a recent BBC 1Xtra interview, Davido revealed that his upcoming sixth studio album will be rooted in African sounds, marking a deliberate shift away from Western music influences.
In a recent appearance on BBC 1Xtra’s Official UK Afrobeats Chart Show, hosted by Congolese-British comedian and presenter Eddie Kadi, Davido offered what appears to be the clearest indication of where his music is headed next, emphasising his plan to decenter the West.

“This part of my career… I’ve performed everywhere, sold out every arena, been at all the award shows. I’ve been to three Grammys in the last three years. Now, I want to go back home. I want to go back to Africa. Even the music I’m recording now is very, very Davido African. I’m not focused on Western sounds. This one that’s coming next is very African,” he said.

Outside the casual interview quote, if we can recall, on his birthday in November last year, Davido subtly announced the coming of his sixth studio album. With this latest comment, he appears to be offering an indirect preview of what that project will sound like, indicating a deliberate pivot toward African audiences after years of building and consolidating a global presence.

It would not be the first time Davido has made that choice consciously. His fifth studio album, 5ive, released in 2025, was a commercial success anchored firmly in Nigerian identity. The album connected deeply with the markets Afrobeats had spent a decade cultivating across the continent, reflecting an artist who understood that the genre’s most loyal and most responsive audience had always been at home.

That conviction extended to his live shows. Last year, Davido held the 5ive Tour across five major Nigerian cities, including Lagos, Ibadan, and Enugu. It was a domestic tour that came at a time when major acts had largely abandoned the Nigerian touring circuit, and was widely commended as a statement of intent.

Entertainment

#SpotlightAfricaThrowbackSeries The Exclusive Wedding of Chief Sunday and Mrs Oluwatosin Oso in Akure

Joyful was the moment when the families of Oso in Ado-Ekiti and Ojo in Akure, Ondo State, as their children, Chief Sunday Oso and Mrs. Oluwatosin Ojo, formally sealed their lifelong union with an exchange of marital vows on November 6, 2021.

For the two lovebirds, the aura exuded nothing but love, as they both looked resplendent in their beautiful attire, gazing at each other with overwhelming excitement.

The event kicked off with a photo session by the couple at St. Jacobs Hotel, a 5-star hotel in Akure, Ondo State, which hosted notable guests from across Nigeria and abroad. At the same time, families, friends, and well-wishers converged at BAS Event Centre, Akure, Ondo State, the venue for both the traditional marriage and reception.

The two families expressed their joy as they warmly welcomed one another during the engagement. Guests were enlivened with rib-cracking jokes by the popular actress, Ronke Ojo, popularly known as Oshodi Oke, who anchored the event. The Ogbomoso-based Fuji maestro, Ramoni Akanni, did not fail to entertain guests with lively music. It was an all-you-can-eat menu accompanied by varieties of drinks, wine, and liquor.

Dignitaries in attendance include top politician, Hon. Olu Araoyinbo, Chairman, West Park Hotel, Mr Rasaq Oseni, Aare Khalif Adebiyi, Nigerian-based businessman, Mr Sesan Adelabu, Emirates, Chairman, St. Jacobs Hotel, Mr Babatope Adebiyi (Jafil), the Waziri of Ekiti State, Alhaji Ajijola, former Chairman, Ado-Ekiti Local Government, Hon. Chief (Mrs) Tosin Aluko, among others.

Hearty Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Oso!