Olasupo has, on many occasions, claimed that many women kings were crowned in the past and that they ruled their domains as kings. The university teacher also mentioned some traditional rulers in the North were allowed the idea of having female rulers in their domain. In an interview with The Guardian, Olasupo rendered a historical perception to the case of women kings in Yorubaland and even in some other parts of the country, noting, “To date, not less than nine male traditional rulers across the country have approved of female traditional rulers. For the Ijebu, not only is their matriarch, Queen Sheba or Bilikisu Sungbo a monarch of Quranic, Biblical and Judaic significance, but there had also been three past female Awujale: Oreyeye, first female Awujale of Ijebuland (pre-colonial period); Oregeje, second female Awujale of Ijebuland (pre-colonial period); Rubakoye, third female Awujale of Ijebuland (pre-colonial period).”With these backdrops, Olasupo said women groups in Ijebuland have begun to find their voices. Their spokesperson, Otunba (Mrs.) Antonia Balogun, said that since women are already entitled to regency and other chieftaincy titles in Yorubaland, there should also be constitutional provision for them to become traditional rulers.

Source: The Guardian January 28, 2018 04:18 UTC