BEVERLY HILLS, April 19, (THEWILL) – Glitz, glamour and classy are some of the adjectives that can best describe the 45th birthday party of His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Elegushi of Ikate-Elegushi, which held penultimate weekend. It was the grand finale of a two-day celebration. From the venue of the party, to the décor, to the choice drinks and food served to the upwardly mobile and stylish guests, who all came to honor the youthful monarch with their presence – to say that many didn’t want the party to come to an end, would be putting it mildly. But as with all things, it had to come to an end.
Here are tit bits of what went down at the party.
The disregard for Covid19 protocols: With Lagos State being the epicenter of the virus in Nigeria, one would have thought that basic Covid19 protocols such as the use of the facemask, hand sanitizers and a bit of social distancing would feature prominently at the party. Unfortunately, the reverse was the case. With the calibre of guests in attendance, monarchs, socialites, captains of industry, government officials, all of who should know better than to display nonchalant attitudes about the virus which has killed over a million people worldwide, everyone carried on like pre-covid days.
The venue: Naturally, the party had to take place at The Monarch, owned by his first wife, Olori Sekinat. The all-white classy events place which is considered one of the most beautiful event centres in Nigeria, was beautifully decorated to befit the royal status of the birthday boy
The Master of Ceremony: Comedian and compere, Gbenga Adeyinka got the contract to co ordinate the smooth running of the party and he exuded a high level of professionalism executing his brief.
The dress code: The dress code was all white casual. Only a few men adhered strictly to the dress code, dressed stylishly.
Monarchs came ready to party: It is not everyday you see monarchs dressed in outfits other than their royal apparels. But at the Elegushi’s party, monarchs such as Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, Oba Gbolahan Lawal, Oba Lateef Adams etc. with the exception of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, dumped their royal apparels for casual outfits. They felt very free without the encumbrance of their flowing gowns. And were it not for their retinue of aides who all milled around them, not many could differentiate them from the regulars as they mingled freely.
Between Olori Sekinat and Olori Hadiza: Olori Sekinat, the monarch’s first wife nearly took the shine from the birthday boy. Dressed in a pink outfit and sparkling emerald jewelry, the beautiful and delectable Olori was the cynosure of all eyes as she was everywhere with her husband. She stayed glued to him and from the way she danced alongside him on the platform as each of the entertainers performed, it was obvious she set out to have a good time and she did have a good time. The second wife, Olori Hadiza was a bit more reserved at the party except when she walked into the venue of the party when it was already under way with her retinue of friends, making a show of it.
Celebrant partied with mum: What is a high-octane party without the presence of one’s mother? The Elegushi made sure that his mother, the revered Olori Sinat, shared in his joy and was part of his birthday celebration. It was also the first time a lot of the guests were seeing the Queen Mother.
Salihu Yakasai resurfaces: The sacked media aide to Abdulahi Ganduje, the Kano State governor, made a surprise appearance at the party. Salihu recently ran into trouble when he got invited by the Department of State Security for constantly criticizing the incompetence that has come to characterize President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. While in DSS custody, he was given the boot by his principal who felt his criticism of Buhari was one too many. About two weeks after he regained freedom, Yakassai reportedly ‘fled’ the country. He showed up at the Elegushi’s party unannounced in his capacity as the older brother to monarch’s second wife, Olori Hadiza and left without anyone noticing him as well.
Julian Osula steps out of his cocoon: Julian Osula, the man behind Julian Luxury was at the party as a guest of the celebrant. Julian who rarely attend parties must have thought it expedient to attend the party owing to the fact that the monarch is one of his high valued clients. At the party, he sat quietly, backslapped with a few people he was familiar with, made sure the celebrant saw him and off he went. Just like John Obayuwana of Polo Limited, Julian is also considered a king in the luxury retail business in Nigeria. However, unlike Obayuwana, he likes to operate behind the scenes. His luxury company has on offer, a wide range of luxury goods, from exclusive timepieces and jewellery to accessories and writing instruments.
Taiwo Afolabi lets down his hair: The business maverick who is the CEO of Sifax Group, a conglomerate with tentacles in maritime, aviation, haulage, hospitality, financial services and oil and gas, found time out of his busy schedule to attend the Elegushi’s party. Taiwo isn’t known to party as hard as his twin, Kehinde, who is the outgoing type and the life of a party. It therefore came as a surprise to many who saw him at the party letting his hair down. The SIFAX boss who clocks 60 next year, is also getting ready to shut down Lagos for his birthday and the formal launch of his 250-bed Marriot Hotels
The entertainers who thrilled guests: There were quite a handful of entertainers who thrilled guests and kept them on the dance floor. Davido, Patoranking, Naira Marley, CDQ Olowo, Fireboy, Lil Kesh and Veentage Band. On the wheel of spins was DJ Spinall.
The VIP guests: The guests as earlier mentioned were made up of 1st class monarchs, politicians, government officials, captains of industry, entertainers, socialites. Some of those who made it to the party include; The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Lagos State speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, Rev. Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi and husband, Dr Ademuyiwa Ajayi, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, Amina Jambo, Hon. Shina Pellar, Oba Folarin Ogunsanwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, Oba Gbolahan Lawal, Oba Lateef Adams, Hakeem Muri Okunola, Seyi Tinubu, Chief Nike Okundaye, Peter Obafemi, Chris Ubosi, Jay Jay Okocha etc.
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