ICIR urges Tinubu to declare August 20, 21 national holidays
Traditionalists in Ogun State, yesterday, called on the state government to accord Isese Day the same level of recognition and treatment given to Christmas and Sallah celebrations to preserve Yoruba cultural heritage.
They wondered why the state government, after declaring August 20 as Isese Day festival, could not support the worshippers financially as it does for Christians and Muslims during their celebrations, urging the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, to consider their plight.
Head of traditional worshippers in the state, Eniowo Aregbesola Anipupo, who made the appeal at Oke-Bola, venue of the traditionalists’ praying ground, urged the current administration to consider every religious body as the same under God, without leaving anyone out.
Anipupo, however, admonished traditional worshippers to endeavour to make peace and be tolerant with Muslims and Christians for the sake of unity, stressing that it was high time the three religious bodies came together as brothers to live in harmony.
Reacting, the state government, through the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Sesan Fagbayi, said that the Dapo Abiodun-led administration cared about traditionalists since it approved August 20 as the Isese Day celebration, appealing to them to see themselves as one and be at peace with other religious bodies.
Earlier, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Ọba Adedotun Gbadebo, who was represented by Oluwo Ifa Itoku, Olusoji Sodamola, charged the traditionalists to imbibe the spirit of humility and shun any form of violence during the celebration.
Relatedly, the International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) has called on President Bola Tinubu to give equal recognition to Isese adherents in Nigeria, like their Muslim and Christian counterparts, by declaring August 20 and 21 as public holidays.
It also called on governors of Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Delta states to emulate their colleagues from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun states by declaring every August 20 as Isese holiday in their respective states.
In a communique signed by its President, Dr Fayemi Fatunde Fakayode and made available to journalists in commemoration of the 2025 Isese Day celebration, the ICIR said that the Presidency should rise above the state of inequality among the three major religions in Nigeria by giving due recognition to Isese practitioners through the declaration of public holidays.
Fakayode, while congratulating Isese adherents all over the world and appreciating the South-West governors who have declared a holiday for Isese Day celebration, demanded that the Federal Government should fund cultural festivals, protect shrines and sacred lands and integrate practitioners into national cultural councils.
He also stressed the need for the Federal Government to invest in cultural sites nationwide to boost revenue and community growth.
Meanwhile, the Akinrogun Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Kazeem Adewale Hamzat, yesterday, commended South-West governors for institutionalising Isese Day, which he described as a celebration of Yoruba indigenous religion, values, and cultural heritage.
Hamzat, who spoke with journalists in Lagos on the significance of the observance, noted that Isese Day holds profound cultural meaning for the Yoruba, serving as a reminder of the traditions and spiritual beliefs that have shaped their identity for centuries.
He, however, described the decision by the state governments as noble, stressing that sustaining Isese Day underscores the enduring relevance of the Yoruba worldview, philosophy, and spirituality.
He also praised traditional rulers across Yorubaland for their role as custodians of culture, saying that their efforts have ensured that Yoruba ethics and heritage continue to thrive despite modernisation and globalisation.
Hamzat, who is also the General Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in Alimosho Local Council, said the yearly commemoration provides an avenue to preserve and transmit Yoruba identity.
