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Ever since the purported “installation” of a new Iyaloja in Edo State by Mrs. Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, who styles herself the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, I have been inundated with questions asking me to comment.
Because of my ongoing investigation into the Edo State vs EuroAfrica CCI $250 Million deal, I initially held back. But after reviewing the Nigerian Constitution and relevant statutory frameworks, it is clear that the very concept and office of an Iyaloja-General is alien to Edo culture, unconstitutional, and without statutory authority. Consequently, it has no legal power to confer titles in Edo State.
Let us break this down carefully:
1. Is “Iyaloja-General” a constituted office?
No. There is no federal constitutional or statutory office called “Iyaloja-General.” The 1999 Constitution (as amended) lists federal and state offices, commissions, and authorities. The title “Iyaloja-General” does not appear anywhere. It is a traditional or civil-society designation, not a public office created by law.
2. Do states have market women’s associations?
Yes—but these are typically private associations, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020. They enjoy legal personality but have no governmental authority. Some states, such as Lagos, have created state-level market councils by law, but this is not universal and is strictly state-specific.
In Benin, what regulates the Iyeki role?
The Oba of Benin has made it clear: market leadership in Benin is guided by the Iyeki system, a traditional office. Traders in each market choose their Iyeki, and the Oba’s palace confirms the selection. Iyeki duties are cultural and administrative, rooted in Benin tradition. There is no Edo State statute that overrides this customary process.
3. What authority does an “Iyaloja-General” have in Edo?
None. Under the Nigerian Constitution, there is no power for an “Iyaloja-General” to install market leaders in Edo. At best, such an appointment would carry weight only inside her private association, not within Edo’s traditional or legal framework.
For context, Lagos State is considering a Market Authority Bill that proposes an advisory council where an Iyaloja-General may be mentioned. But that is Lagos State law, not federal law, and it does not extend to Edo.
4 How much is the Edo State Government backing this?
Despite the Oba’s firm rejection of the Iyaloja concept in Benin, the so-called installation was hosted inside the Edo State Government House.
Reports confirm that top officials attended: the governor’s sister (who's the "first lady" of Edo State, representing her brother), the Commissioner for Women Affairs, the Commissioner for Health (Dr Cyril Oshiomhole), and several others in Governor Okpebholo’s administration.
During the event, promises of “2.5 million votes” for President Tinubu in the 2027 elections were openly made. That raises urgent questions:
• Was this really a customary installation, or a political rally disguised as tradition?
• Why has the Edo State Governor himself remained silent since?
• Why did the state government lend institutional weight to an office that is neither constitutional, nor statutory, nor indigenous to Edo culture?
5. On the ethnic spin
Some have tried to frame this as an ethnic quarrel. That is misleading. The Oba of Benin never reduced the matter to who was installed, but to what was being installed. His objection was categorical: the very concept of an Iyaloja-General is alien to Benin tradition. Therefore, even if it had been an Edo woman from Ogbe who was “installed,” it would still be wrong. This is a matter of legality and culture—not ethnicity.
My conclusion
From a legal perspective, the title “Iyaloja-General of Nigeria” is nonexistent in the Constitution. From a cultural perspective, it is alien to Benin tradition. From a political perspective, its sudden promotion inside the Edo Government House, complete with election talk, looks less like a customary role and more like a political strategy.
For Edo people, this controversy is not just about markets. It is about protecting cultural integrity, constitutional order, and resisting political overreach cloaked in tradition.
And let us not forget: if the wall does not crack, the lizard cannot enter.
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