Isaac Babalola Akinyele - Work, Worship and Witness

Work, Worship and Witness

He was politically sensitive, gaining fame in the chieftaincy and political milieu of Ibadan. In 1914, he and his brother joined the Egbe Agba O'Tan, a frontline nineteenth century association of members of the educated Yorùbá elite committed to fighting the cause of their tribe, clearly a pre-cursor of the Egbé Ọmọ Odùduwà in the Yoruba social environment, and of the Ibadan Progressive Union in the Ibadan context. His brother Alexander Akinyele, was the first patron of IPU, and it was his peace loving nature that influenced the Union in devising an easy, peaceful and non-divisive Olubadan (non-hereditary traditional ruler) succession plan regarded as the most non-contentious in Yorubaland. Prior to 1924, Isaac Akinyele was a devout Anglican layman. He was a very religious man and was a great adherent of contextualization and acculturisation of religious beliefs, because he held the view that religion without respect to cultural roots; would perpetually be seen as alien religion by the pagan citizenry. It was an extension of these strong views that made him break away from the main orthodox brand to join the Faith Tabernacle; the precursor of the Christ Apostolic Church, the first Aladura Pentecostal Church in Nigeria. He became the first President of that Church. This started the emergence of Pentecostalism; which has gained tremendous grounds in contemporary Nigeria.

By 1933, Isaac Akinyele had become a councillor of the Ibadan Native Authority. He became an Ibadan Oloye in 1935, a position which he always approached in a Christian way. For example when he was appointed Balogun, one of the city's highest positions which corresponds roughly with the European Duke and which entails the holding of a ceremonial staff of office which is to be anointed weekly with sheep's blood. Failure to do so was believed to bring death upon the disdainer of the tradition. Isaac Akinyele had a Christian staff made, with a cross affixed on top, dedicated by church members with prayer and fasting. In 1948, he was honoured by the Queen of England and her Government in Nigeria, becoming an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. On February 17, 1955, he became the Olubadan (non-hereditary traditional ruler) of Ibadan. Although some objected, because of his total rejection of the pagan traditional beliefs, he was chosen by an overwhelming majority. He was subsequently knighted, taking the KBE from Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1956 during her state visit to Nigeria.