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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Idol-free palaces are greater than mosques and churches, declares Nigerian monarch

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, declared that idol-free palaces hold greater divine authority than mosques, churches, or shrines.
  • He stated that traditional rulers are God's physical representatives on earth and that palaces should be places for divine commandments, not shrines.
  • Oba Akanbi urged Yoruba kings to remove idols from their palaces, emphasizing that pure kingship is more spiritual than many realize.

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has asserted that palaces devoid of idols possess a divine authority surpassing that of mosques, churches, and shrines. He described these idol-free palaces as the true seats of God on Earth, with traditional rulers serving as God's physical representatives.

Palaces, most especially Yoruba palaces without idols, are greater than Mosque, Church and Shrine.

— Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed AkanbiDeclaring his stance on the spiritual significance of palaces.

Oba Akanbi condemned the practice of keeping idols in traditional rulers' palaces, labeling such kings as ignorant of their true position. He called for a correction of past mistakes where God's exclusive right was shared with deities, advocating for a holistic approach to kingship. The monarch believes he was enthroned to guide Yoruba kings on the proper conduct of their traditional roles.

Palace is not a shrine where deities are kept. Olodumare is sending me to all kings to deliver the message, and he equipped me with all paraphernalia of the office to weather any storm.

— Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed AkanbiExplaining his vision for the role of a palace.

"Palace is not a shrine where deities are kept. Olodumare is sending me to all kings to deliver the message, and he equipped me with all paraphernalia of the office to weather any storm," the statement read. He emphasized that while people pray in mosques, churches, and shrines, divine commandments originate from the palace. He urged kings to return glory to the true King when people bow to them, as earthly kings are merely guardians and defenders of God's throne.

Palace is a place where everybody should go for divine commandment. It is the stool of God on earth.

— Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed AkanbiDefining the purpose of a royal palace.

The monarch clarified that he is not asking traditional rulers to discard their deities entirely but to remove them from the palaces. He maintained that opposing idol-free palaces would lead to one's downfall, insisting that pure kingship is more spiritual than commonly understood. He stated that any palace dedicated to Olodumare without deity worship is greater than houses of God.

You go to Mosques, Churches and shrines to pray, but divine commandment is in the palace of Olodumare.

— Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed AkanbiContrasting the functions of places of worship with the royal palace.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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