By Amaka Okwudili
Edo State has been thrown into a heated controversy following the installation of Mrs. Josephine Ebhaguejezele as Iyeki General of Edo Market Women Association by Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and self-styled Iyaloja-General of Nigeria.
The ceremony, held at the Festival Hall of Edo State Government House, has drawn sharp criticism, with many insisting that the Iyeki title is deeply rooted in Benin tradition and can only be sanctioned by the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II.
The backlash intensified after the Oba recently reaffirmed that Edo markets are governed by the Iyeki system, where leaders are selected by traders and later ratified by the palace, dismissing the imposition of the Iyaloja system.
With Mrs. Ebhaguejezele’s coronation now official, the debate has deepened over who holds the rightful authority to determine market leadership in Edo State—the palace, the people, or political figures.
The development has also gone viral online, sparking a wider national conversation on the clash between culture, tradition, and political influence in Nigeria’s market structures.
