Nigeria has lost two giants on the same day: Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebuland, and former President Muhammadu Buhari, men bound not only by power and history but by decades of personal friendship.

Oba Adetona, who ruled Ijebuland for over 64 years, passed away in Ijebu-Ode at the age of 91 on Sunday, just hours after news broke that Buhari had died in London at 82. Their nearly 40-year bond defied the boundaries of politics and royalty.

In late 1983, then-Ogun State Governor Olabisi Onabanjo signed a decree to remove Oba Adetona as the Awujale, to take effect January 2, 1984. But that move was aborted by Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s coup on December 31, 1983. One of Buhari’s first acts in power was to reverse the Awujale’s removal.

That singular decision created a lifetime bond between the two.

The monarch never forgot. And Buhari, often known for his aloofness, considered the Awujale one of the few traditional rulers whose counsel he respected and sought in private moments.

An Unspoken Pact

Though they operated in different spheres, one under ancestral customs, the other under constitutional and military codes, they often found common ground. 

Both men were deeply principled, intensely private, and deeply misunderstood by some of their contemporaries.

Oba Adetona’s voice, particularly during national debates on governance and restructuring, carried weight not just because of his age or throne, but because it was shaped by firsthand experience with power, and with Buhari.

It is widely known in inner political circles that the Awujale would occasionally reach out to Buhari privately during his presidency, especially in moments of national tension.

In return, Buhari never shied from publicly honouring the Awujale, even long after leaving power. Their friendship outlived governments.

ALSO READ: Remembering Buhari: His Failures, Successes and Life After Public Life

Twin Departures

That both men died on the same day is more than a coincidence. It’s a passing of an era defined by stoic leadership and conservative values.

Their deaths invite a national pause, not just to mourn, but to reflect on the delicate, often overlooked alliances that helped stabilise Nigeria through its many transitions.

What Happens Now?

• For Ijebu-Ode: Oba Adetona’s death will trigger traditional succession rites under the Anikinaiya Ruling House. The Ijebu people will mourn a monarch who saw Nigeria gain independence, survive coups, and evolve into a democracy, all from his royal seat.
• For Katsina and the nation: Buhari will be buried in Daura, his hometown, with full Islamic rites and likely a state-organised farewell. Vice President Kashim Shettima would escort the remains of the ex-general back to Nigeria.

Flags are already flying at half-mast on President Bola Tinubu’s order. But beyond protocol, there’s an undeniable silence that now lingers in Nigeria’s political and cultural space, a void that both friends leave behind.