MABAJA MABABINU’S EFFECT: A SONG AND MORE
By Sunday Olugbenga Abire
In your hood, everywhere in Ondo state and even from the mouths of sucklings, the Mabaja Mababinu song resonates. It is almost a worship song in religious centres. Even in homes, Mabaja Mababinu has become an anthem. I wasn’t shocked when Gbenga Aladetan, my neighbor’s son and special friend of five years old gave a perfect rendition of the song as if he composed it.
He didn’t end it without attributing it to the 7th Civilian Governor of Ondo State. Gbenga, the son of Mr Femi Aladetan is overwhelmed with the love of the people’s Governor even without seeing him. If I agree that the Ilaje blood in Gbenga speaks loudly, what about Success Adegbusi, the three years old son of Mr Fisayo Adegbusi? His own version of Mabaja will even crack your ribs. Kindly try other children in your hood to attempt the song and feed me back please. It’s so interesting.
The beautiful song in Ikale dialect was released in 2024 by Oluwatoyin Ojagbemi at a time when Governor Aiyedatiwa was coming out of a special ordeal that was orchestrated to truncate his constitutional progression to power. As if the song was made for him, Mabaja Mababinu became synonymous with Governor Aiyedatiwa. He owns it. People tag him with the song. I doubt whether Oluwatoyin had Governor Aiyedatiwa in mind while composing her song. I doubt whether any other person in Ondo state will sing the song without a thought of Governor Aiyedatiwa.
Call it beautiful coincidence, you may be right. Whatever we tag it, Mabaja is a warning never to fight Governor Aiyedatiwa because God is with him. Truly, it is a dangerous thing to fight whoever God has raised for a purpose. Examples abound in real life and in the good Books. We can only team up with such person to actualize our dreams.
Let’s make sense from the beautiful coincidence of Mabaja song. Like the elders had suggested long ago in their ancient wisdom, when one good head is raised, hundreds are made out of it. Bí orí kàn bá suwọn, á rán ìgbà. While Oluwatoyin was chasing success silently with her song, the linking of Governor Aiyedatiwa with the song is the magic the talented Toyin had been waiting for. It is called the grace of God in any man’s labour. Oluwatoyin’s Mabaja will stay longer like the ‘Ọdún lọ sopin’ song because whenever we see a great person going through difficult times, it will pop up. That’s the immortality that comes with the song. It’s a win-win for the talented Oluwatoyin, Ikale Nation, Governor Aiyedatiwa and Ondo State in general.
As we navigate through the processes of electing a new Governor in Ondo state, the Mabaja effect is a great pointer to the divine ordination of Governor Aiyedatiwa as he continues to bring purposeful leadership to the people of Ondo state beyond 2025.
