By Babalola Gafar
The festival, which is themed "Ojude Oba: Unity and Harmony, Our Gifts", will take place on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, two days after the Eid-el-Adha celebrations.
In a press conference held on Tuesday at the Awujale of Ijebu Palace, to commemorate the upcoming festival, the chairman of the Ojude Oba Festival Organising Committee, Chief Oluneye Okuboyejo, said the festival, which has been in existence for over two centuries, is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage of the Ijebu people and promotes unity, harmony, and religious tolerance.
Senator Shettima's presence at the festival is expected to further boost the profile of the event, which has attracted dignitaries from across the country and beyond in previous years.
The festival will feature a colourful parade of culture and tradition, equestrian display by warlords and horse riders, music and entertainment, and a special appearance by the Vice President.
The Committee has also announced that Globacom, the telecommunications giant, will be the main sponsor of the festival, with other sponsors including First City Monument Bank Plc, Ogun State Government, and Nigerian Breweries Plc, among others.
The festival promises to be a memorable one, with adequate security and traffic management measures in place to ensure a hitch-free celebration.
Okuboyejo said"every edition of the festival necessitates the choice of a distinguished Nigerian as the Special Guest of Honour.
"The Festival Committee is pleased to inform you that we expect to host the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima as the Special Guest of Honour, alongside the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON and his amiable consort, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun.
" We are also expecting the attendance of the Honourable Minister of Culture, Art and the Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa-Musawa, among others.
" His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON will now be ranked in the league of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Senate
President David Mark, Senator (Alhaji) Aminu Tmbuwal, former Governor Serialke Dickson, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Governor Sanwoolu, and other eminent Nigerians who were at one or the other, Special Guests of Honour. We express our profound gratitude to His Excellency, the Vice President. May God bless him."
