BABALAWO: AYEDOGBON AND THE ELECTIONS

 

BABALAWO: AYEDOGBON AND THE ELECTIONS

The Babalawos are believed to ascertain the future of their clients through communication with Ifá. This is done through the interpretation of either the patterns of the divining chain known as Opele, or the sacred palm nuts called Ikin, on the traditionally wooden divination tray called Opon Ifá.

In addition to this, some of them also perform divination services on behalf of the kings and paramount chiefs of the Yoruba people. These figures, holders of chieftaincy titles like Araba and Oluwo Ifa in their own right, are members of the recognized aristocracies of the various Yoruba traditional states.

People can visit Babalawos for spiritual consultations.

After consultation, the Babalawo recommends the remedy which usually entails propitiations and/or sacrifices.

Onisegun is a herbalist. He uses herbs and roots to make remedies for people’s ailments. When the problem goes beyond the physical he also consults the Babalawo.

The Adahunse is somewhere in between.

In today’s society, it is difficult to draw a line between them. You don’t know who is what.

My concern is not actually about those highly revered men in African societies.

 

Some decades ago, circumstances made me play the role of one.

Close your eyes and imagine it.

Yours truly as Babalawo, Onishegun and Adahunse all rolled together.

The setting was the campus of one of the first generation universities in South West Nigeria.

I was a mature student living in the hostel. My new-found love for Adire stood me out everywhere I went. I had this “kembe” with the booboo shorts. I also  had this beautiful hand bead I got as gift when I followed Dickson to Benin for his grandfather’s funeral. Dickson is Edo.

One Ibo friend nicknamed me Babalawo.

Some youngsters were very close to me. One of them was my roommate.

I was sure two of them, especially my roommate, were cult guys. That didn’t bother me. They were good guys.

They were very popular among students.

Always well dressed, driving a posh car and with plenty of money to throw around, it was easy to make friends.

His closest friend (who I learnt is a potential first class graduate) is the son of an army general.

One day the two guys came to me and told me the general's son was contesting to be Student Union President.

They needed my help.

I wondered what help I could render since he was already popular. 

They wanted me to do juju for them. I was taken aback at first. But they kept at it, believing I had powers to make students vote for the General’s son.

I told them to come back while I consult. Consult who I didn’t know at first.

So I consulted Lekan and be said we can do it.

So we collected money from them.

We went to Obasanjo Farms in Ota during the weekend. 

We got a small cow horn and Turkey feathers from the processing department.

We got black soap and put in the horn.

We topped it with some chicken blood.

We went back to school and gave it to the guy.

Some yeye instructions went with it.

From then on the guys were treating us like Baba Agba.

Election day eventually came and we were afraid.

I was jittery but Lekan was sure the guy would win.

If the guy lost we were in trouble, I thought.

We left campus and hid at a joint close to campus.

We nosed for news.

By afternoon there was noise on campus. We didn't know whether to go in or take off.

Some guys came to the joint to "wash" the result.  They brought good news.

Our candidate had won. 

We sauntered back to school. 

We were carried shoulder high back to campus.

Throughout that year we were treated as BABA OBA

Sometimes we attribute our success to people and forces who actually played no role in making it happen.

A politician who keeps cringing before a godfather who has no electoral value would do his every bidding after winning the elections.

A brilliant boy who was given some concoction to drink before going to the exams will live his life believing the juju rather than his brains made him pass the examinations.

The general’s son and his friend would never believe it was their popularity that won the elections and not our juju.

Did I hear you say I am BABALAWO YAHOO?

No, I was BABALAWO AYEDOGBON.

ONLY GOD MAKES THINGS HAPPEN