Moyo Okediji: An Ifa Revolutionary and his Martin Luther Moment?

[Oluwatoyin Adepoju]

                                                                                      Moyo Okediji

                                                              An Ifa Revolutionary and his Martin Luther Moment?

                                                                               Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju

                                                                                          Compcros

                                                                 Comparative Cognitive Processes and Systems

                                                                                                        

                                                                           

One of my favourite images, from Charles Connell's book World Famous Rebels, is of Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, nailing his 95 theses or a similar number to a church door at Wittenberg, declaring his disavowal of some of the orientations of the Catholic church of which he had been a priest.

He therefore fired an opening shot in one of the greatest and most creatively productive upheavals in history, the division of the Western church.

Moyo Okediji, scholar, writer, artist, is attempting something similar, attempting to ignite a reformation and expansion in the Yoruba origin Ifa system of knowledge and divination.

He is trying to do it while relating on equal, dialogical terms with traditional Ifa and Yoruba civilization authorities.

Luther eventually had to continue with his revolution from outside the Church when the Church made it clear they would not even entertain what they saw as his radical views, and excommunicated him, formally removing him from the Church though he could prove his views had roots in the Bible.

Okediji seems to have reached a similar turning point as Luther.

Two years ago, a zoom conference was held between himself and Ifa leaders, largely from Yorubaland, in order for him to explain himself.

He was talked down upon, responded to dismissively and his teacher of decades ago, Professor Wande Abimbola, now understood as the global voice of Ifa, insisted that Okediji's proposed reform and expansion had no value, since not only was Ifa a timeless bequest from the divine Orunmila, its depths were so great it had not been adequately plumbed, so why would anyone speak of reform or expansion, much less Okediji's ''Ifa Tuntun'', as the ''heretic'' named what some described as his abominable vision?

Okediji deferred to the elder's admonition.

The meeting devolved into an ethnic fest, where Yoruba genuflective culture was in full display, the African respect for elders in its innovation blinding orientation erupting in celebration.

The traditionalists were triumphant.

Okediji, however, did not give up.

He has now produced a book demonstrating some of his Ifa innovations, a book to be published by Obafemi Awolowo University in Ife, the centre of Yoruba spiritual culture, and launched, along with a lecture by Okediji, at the university on July 16.

That would have been a wonderful contribution to the university's achievements as a globally influential innovator in Yoruba Studies up till the 80s, as the University of Ife, its previous name.

What eventually happened?

The university cancelled the launch and the related lecture by Okediji and withdrew the book from publication.

Why?

Pressure from Ifa traditionalists.

Claims that some were planning to smuggle in weapons to the event.

Has Okediji arrived at his Martin Luther moment?