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The Legend of the White-Robed Spirits: A Rekindling of Culture
Long ago,
in the bustling land by the lagoon, the people of Lagos carried within them a
sacred tradition, the Eyo Festival, known as the Adamu Orisha Play.
It was
said that when the white-robed spirits, the Eyo masqueraders, marched
through the streets with their staffs called opambata, the city itself
breathed with ancestral power.
Their presence was not mere pageantry; it was a living bond between the past and the present, a reminder that the Yoruba heritage was eternal.
For eight
long years, the festival lay dormant, like a flame hidden beneath ashes. The
streets grew quieter, and the spirits waited. Then, in the year 2025, the call
was answered. The drums thundered once more, chants rose to the skies, and
Lagos awoke to the grandeur of its heritage.
Among the
throngs stood President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, clad in the sacred white robe, a
damask sash across his shoulder, and a hat adorned with stars. He carried the opambata
like the other revelers, not as a ruler but as a son of Lagos returning to the
embrace of his ancestors. His words rang out: “This is a great rekindling of
our culture.” And so, the festival became more than a celebration, it became
a legend reborn.
This
year’s Eyo Festival was unlike any before. Instead of honoring one or three,
four great figures of Lagos were remembered: Mobolaji Johnson, the first
military administrator; Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, the first civilian
governor; Sir Michael Otedola, a former governor; and Alhaja Abibat Mogaji, the
Iyaloja and mother of Tinubu himself. Their names were spoken with reverence,
their deeds woven into the fabric of the city’s story.
Governor
Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared it a homecoming, a moment when Lagos stood tall in
its resilience. The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, and the traditional
institutions ensured the spirits of the ancestors walked once more among the
people.
The
festival coincided with Detty December, when Lagos becomes a beacon for
Nigerians abroad and travelers from distant lands.
The sight
of the white-robed figures parading through the streets was not only a cultural
spectacle but a promise, that Lagos’ heritage could shine across the world.
The day
unfolded like a myth: music and chants filled the air, dancers moved with
ancestral grace, and the Eyo groups marched in solemn procession.
At the
end, prayers were offered for the President and for Nigeria, binding the celebration
to the destiny of the nation.
Thus, the
2025 Eyo Festival entered the chronicles of Lagos not merely as an event, but
as a tale of rebirth. It was the story of a city reclaiming its soul, of
ancestors remembered, and of a people declaring to the world: Our culture
lives, our heritage endures, and our spirit cannot be broken.
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