Ojude Oba 2024: Families fight dirty over Balogun Kuku’s 8-year winning streak, details emerge

• A fresh family crisis has erupted after some stole the show and turned celebrity overnight at the Ojude Oba 2024 festival
• Interestingly, the family that won has generated debate in the polity as rival families queried the criteria for winning the contest during the annual festival
• A representative of the Balogun Kuku family who won the contest gave an epic reply to Prince Adedoyin Alatishe's family querying their 8-year winning streak
• However, Farooq Oreagba was the man turned celebrity with much steeze as he stole the spotlight at the 2024 Ojude Oba festival

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The annual Ojude Oba festivities has always attracted public attention over the years and the 2024 edition didn’t go without the usual fanfare, glitz, grandeur, and cultural resonance.

A general view of glee worn worn by members of the Regberegbe Egbe Jagunmolu Obirinrin during the annual Ojude Oba festival. Image for illustration. Photo: TOYIN ADEDOKUN/AFP via Getty Images)
Source: Getty Images

For every edition of the Ojude Oba, one family, personality, group or association outshone others and stood far apart from the rest of the attendees.

On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, another edition of the annual festivity was held to honour the rich culture and tradition of the Ijebu people and to honour Awujale, the king of Ijebu-Ode, on his age milestone. The celebration also drew notable figures from near and far, led by the Governor of Ogun state, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

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Ojude Oba: Balogun Kuku family emerged winner

However, beyond the fanfare, traditional and cultural resonance is a brewing disagreement over the winner of the 2024 Ojude Oba family parade.

For the 2024 edition, the Balogun Kuku family emerged winner for the family’s colourfulness of attires, composure, horse displays and unmatched energy at the parade cum contest.

In the same vein, a cheque of N500,000 was presented to the family representative courtesy of popular communication outfit, Globacom Nigeria.

Rival family query criteria for winning the contest

Interestingly, the emergence of the Balogun Kuku family as the winner of the hotly contested displays has kicked off a debate and call for criteria to which families emerge winners at the parade.

As reported by The Nation on Friday June 21, Prince Adedoyin Alatishe queried the eight-year-winning streak of the Balogun Kuku family at the Ojude Oba parade insisting on knowing what the criteria for winning is.

After the event, Alatishe faulted the Balogun Kuku’s victory saying:

“But then, are you really saying out of 25 families, only 1 family deserves to be 1st 8 times in the last 9 years? What are the criteria? What gets people disqualified and get points deducted? Me, I’m not a coward oh. There is nothing anyone can do to me for voicing out. No one can stop me from participating in Ojude oba because it’s my heritage.”

After firing the first salvo, a member of the Balogun Kuku family, Abdulrasheed Kuku replied to Alatishe sayin:

“Brother relax. No member of my family is the judge. Tell your photographer to do a proper video of our entry and display then you’ll know why we’re winning. You don’t just stroll into the ground. We hit the ground with full force and change the atmosphere.”

Kuku went on to say:

“Are you saying we should be disqualified or what? When we floated rules in 2019 were we not disqualified?”

Farooq Oreagba returns to work after Ojude Oba steeze

Legit.ng reported that the most-talked-about personality at the Ojude Oba festival, Farooq Oreagba, is in the news again after he was spotted at his workplace. After stealing the show, rave-of-the-moment Farooq Oreagba has gone back to his work.

An emerging video showed how he was dressed to the office, a total difference from his steeze at the festival that made him an internet sensation.

The cancer survivor, who made headlines for his steeze at the prestigious cultural event, wore a suit and carried a bag.

Source: Legit.ng