Every year, in the heart of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, thousands gather in colour, culture, and celebration for Ojude Oba—one of Nigeria’s most spectacular traditional festivals. Held on the third day after Eid-el-Kabir, the event is a vibrant showcase of Ijebu heritage, where indigenes pay homage to the Awujale, the royal father of the Ijebu kingdom.With dazzling fashion, majestic horses, pulsating drums, and age-old regberegbe age-group parades, Ojude Oba is more than a cultural gathering—it is a public declaration of pride, loyalty, and legacy.
But for decades, that legacy was defined by one unspoken rule: women do not ride.
Horseback riding at Ojude Oba was historically the domain of men, especially from warrior lineages and Balogun families who led military campaigns in precolonial times. The horse symbolized power, leadership, and ancestral honor—roles that tradition, at the time, reserved for men. Women participated, yes—but not in the saddle. Their place was in the entourage, dancing, singing, supporting from the ground.
That long-standing gender boundary began to blur in 2024, when Princess Adesile took to the field on horseback, challenging history with poise. “Ojude Oba 2024 made me realise even more that women are just as capable as men,” she later reflected. Her ride was graceful, intentional—and groundbreaking. For the first time in modern memory, a woman didn’t just observe the tradition. She rode with it.
Now in 2025, that quiet moment of rebellion has turned into a movement
Princess Adesile returned to the festival this year, not as an exception—but as a symbol of change. And she was no longer alone. More women joined her, proudly mounted and parading as equals beside men. They weren’t just representing families—they were reshaping tradition. Adorned in resplendent fabrics and jewels, with horses dressed in gold, they carried generations on their backs and the future in their hands.
Spotlight: Kofoworola Kuku of the Balogun Kuku Dynasty
Among them, one image stood out—Kofoworola Kuku, daughter of the prestigious Balogun Kuku family, caught mid-ride by photographer Niyi Fagbemi in a photo that quickly went viral. Eyes fierce, posture proud, Kuku introduced herself to the world on social media:“I’m KOFOWOROLA from the Balogun Kuku Dynasty. The prestigious family and founder of Ojude Oba.”
Her voice echoed what many felt—this was not merely about participation, it was about claiming space. Her ride told a story of pride without apology, of heritage unbound by gender.Across the city, the message was clear: tradition isn’t static—it evolves. From the Iboriaran Moyegeso house to various Balogun clans, women rode with purpose and pride. They weren’t invited in—they arrived, riding with centuries of ancestral weight behind them, and dreams ahead of them.
Looking Forward: Ojude Oba 2026 and the Road Ahead
The success and visibility of this year’s female riders have sparked new conversations and possibilities. Rumors are swirling about formal training camps for young female riders, mentorship circles led by the women of 2025, and the possible debut of an all-female regberegbe riding group.
What started as a question—“Can she ride?”—has become a declaration: She can. She did. And she will.
Ojude Oba is not being rewritten; it is being expanded.With each stride, these women are building a more inclusive legacy—one where tradition and transformation can ride side by side.
