Èmi l’ó kàn: The Mystical and Political Anatomy of Tinubu’s Pivotal Abeokuta Declaration
By Festus Adedayo
Three years ago, a seismic political moment unfolded in Abeokuta that would irrevocably alter Nigeria’s presidential trajectory. On June 2, 2022, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then an aspirant for the nation’s highest office, delivered what has since become an epochal declaration—a phrase that resonated through the political stratosphere and continues to shape discourse about power, destiny, and the unseen forces that influence Nigerian politics.
“Èmi l’ó kàn, ẹ gbé kinní yìí wá”—“It is my turn, bring this thing.” These words, uttered with the force of divine proclamation, marked a turning point not just in Tinubu’s political journey but in the understanding of how metaphysical elements intertwine with electoral politics in Africa’s most populous nation.
The Abeokuta Catalyst: A Political Thunderclap
At a meeting with Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and APC delegates at the presidential lodge in Ibara, Abeokuta, Tinubu unleashed what many perceived as audacious invective directed at then-President Muhammadu Buhari. The timing was critical—just days before the party’s presidential primaries, with Tinubu’s candidacy seemingly hanging in the balance against powerful opposition forces within the ruling party.
“If not for me who stood behind Buhari, he wouldn’t have become president,” Tinubu declared, invoking what many interpreted as a political debt of monumental proportions. “He tried the first time, he fell; the second time, he fell; the third, he fell… He even wept on national television and vowed never to contest again but I went to meet him in Kaduna and told him he will run again.”
The speech culminated in the now-legendary phrase: “Èmi l’ó kàn, ẹ gbé kinní yìí wá.” To the casual observer, it was a mere expression of political entitlement. To those versed in the nuances of Nigerian political spirituality, it carried the resonance of something far more profound.
Metaphysics and Realpolitik: The Unseen Dimension of Nigerian Politics
The relationship between African political leadership and spiritual practices represents a complex tapestry woven through centuries of tradition, belief systems, and power dynamics. In Nigeria specifically, the intersection of formal electoral processes and informal metaphysical practices creates a dual reality where campaigns are fought not just on podiums and in media, but in spiritual realms invisible to the ordinary voter.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to Tinubu or the Yoruba political tradition. The April 2024 viral video featuring an enchanter’s incantation for former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello demonstrated similar patterns. The ritual invocation—“River Niger and River Benue, the confluence is in Kogi State. Except say River Niger and River Benue no come meet for Kogi; if River Niger and River Benue come meet for Kogi, dem no go fit arrest Bello”—revealed how deeply spiritual warfare is embedded in Nigerian political defense mechanisms.
Throughout southern Nigeria, and increasingly across the northern regions through the marabout system introduced by North African Islamic Malams, politicians routinely seek spiritual fortification. The practice of obtaining Òkígbé—a charm believed to provide protection against physical weapons and political machinations—represents just one dimension of this complex relationship between power and the metaphysical.
Historical Context: Ritual Power in African Leadership Traditions
The deployment of spiritual forces in political contests finds deep roots in Africa’s historical traditions. Secret societies like the Yoruba Ogboni cult, which historically held power to enthrone and dethrone traditional rulers, established frameworks where spiritual authority and political power became inextricably linked.
Peter Morton-Williams’ anthropological study of the Ogboni cult reveals how blood oaths and ritual objects like the ẹdan (twin figures of a man and woman on a cylindrical brass spare) created binding forces that ensured loyalty and secrecy among initiates. These practices established esprit-de-corps among power elites, with violation of oaths carrying dire spiritual consequences.
Beyond Nigeria, secret societies like Sierra Leone’s Human Leopard, Alligator, and Baboon Societies, which spread to Liberia, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire, demonstrated how ritual practices influenced power dynamics. The Efik of Calabar had their Mforoekpe society, whose members dressed in leopard skins and were believed to gain vitality through ritual practices.
The Scholarly Perspective: Rationality Versus Spiritual Reality
Western philosophical traditions have often dismissed metaphysical political practices as mere superstition. Ludwig Wittgenstein, the Austro-British philosopher of language, categorized such practices as “meaningless linguistic confusion” and “metaphysical chatter” in his Tractatus.
Yet this perspective fails to acknowledge that for many African societies, the spiritual and physical worlds exist not as separate realms but as interconnected dimensions of reality. The empirical evidence from participant observations reveals that these practices maintain potent influence despite centuries of exposure to Abrahamic religions and Western education.
As Stephen Ellis documented in his study of the Liberian civil war (“Mystical Efforts: Some evidence from the Liberian war,” Journal of Religion in Africa, 2001), the belief in spiritual protection profoundly influenced combatant behavior, with young fighters sporting amulets they believed made them bullet-proof.
Syncretic Practices: Balancing Modernity and Tradition
Contemporary Nigerian politicians exhibit remarkable syncretism in their spiritual practices. The same leader might attend church on Sunday, mosque on Friday, and consult traditional spiritualists on Saturday—each engagement serving different utilitarian purposes in their political journey.
This pragmatic approach to spirituality demonstrates how Nigerian politicians navigate multiple belief systems without apparent cognitive dissonance. The common practice of sprinkling grains of millet and corn at political gatherings to attract crowds represents just one visible manifestation of these syncretic practices.
As election cycles approach, incidents of ritual murders typically increase, with human body parts believed to enhance political fortunes. Road junctions where three paths meet (orítaméta) in southwestern Nigeria often feature ritual offerings in calabashes—many representing spiritual interventions in electoral processes.
The Tinubu Question: Political Audacity or Spiritual Assertion?
Returning to Tinubu’s Abeokuta declaration, analysts continue to debate whether “Èmi l’ó kàn” represented pure political audacity or something more metaphysical. For those versed in Yoruba spiritual traditions, the phrase carries resonance beyond ordinary political speech.
The structure and delivery mirror patterns found in ritual incantations rather than conventional political rhetoric. The invocation bears similarity to chants like “Agbe, bring goodies to me,” where Agbe (the Great Blue Turaco bird) serves as a culturally significant symbol in Yoruba spirituality.
Given Tinubu’s origins in Iragbiji, Osun State—a community deeply connected to Yoruba spiritual traditions—and his documented political sagacity, the question arises: did his declaration represent a sophisticated understanding of how to harness both physical and metaphysical political forces?
Broader Implications: Spiritual Politics and Democratic Accountability
The pervasive influence of spiritual practices in Nigerian politics raises critical questions about democratic accountability. When politicians believe their success derives from ritual practices rather than voter support, to whom do they owe their allegiance—the electorate or the spiritual intermediaries who facilitated their victory?
This tension between spiritual and democratic accountability represents a fundamental challenge for Nigeria’s governance system. The phenomenon may contribute to the accountability gap often observed between Nigerian leaders and their constituents, as gratitude might be directed toward spiritual rather than electoral benefactors.
Conclusion: Navigating the Visible and Invisible Realms of Power
Tinubu’s Abeokuta declaration and its aftermath highlight the complex interplay between visible political processes and invisible spiritual forces in Nigerian politics. Whether one views these practices through the lens of cultural anthropology, political science, or metaphysical belief, their influence on electoral outcomes and governance patterns remains significant.
As Nigeria progresses toward the 2027 elections, understanding these dynamics becomes increasingly important for analysts, voters, and participants alike. The nation’s political landscape continues to evolve at the intersection of modernity and tradition, where digital campaign strategies coexist with ancient spiritual practices.
The enduring wisdom of Yoruba proverb—“B’á ò ní nnkan àgbà, bí èwe làá rí” (If you do not have what elders fortify themselves with, you would remain a suckling)—perhaps encapsulates the pragmatic approach that has characterized Nigerian political spirituality for generations. In this context, Tinubu’s “Èmi l’ó kàn” may represent both a political statement and a spiritual assertion—a declaration that operates simultaneously in multiple dimensions of Nigerian reality.
As the nation continues to navigate its complex political future, the interaction between these visible and invisible forces will undoubtedly continue to shape outcomes in ways that challenge conventional Western political analysis while revealing the unique characteristics of Africa’s democratic experience.
Full credit to the original publisher: The New Diplomat – https://newdiplomatng.com/emil-okan-audacity/