By Tunji Oladejo
One year has passed since the palace doors of Oke-Ila Orangun closed a little more quietly and the air in Igbeti lost a touch of its warmth. Today, we remember Olori Solape Abake Abolarin not with mourning alone but with gratitude for a life that graced two proud Yoruba towns with dignity, kindness and quiet strength.
Olori Solape carried her crown lightly. To Kabiyesi, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, Aroyinkeye I, Orangun of Oke-Ila, my teacher of the “Elements of Government” at the then Oyo State College of Arts and Science (OSCAS), Ile Ife, now Osun State, she was beauty clothed in humility, strength wrapped in gentleness. But to the people, she was more: a mother’s touch beyond the throne.
Her grace did not end at the palace walls. It travelled to market stalls, to family compounds, to anyone whose path crossed hers. In her laughter, the palace found joy. In her presence, we found peace.
A year is long enough to feel the shape of an absence. Yet it is also long enough to see what remains. And what remains of Olori Solape Abolarin is light. It lives in the stories elders still tell of her compassion. It lives in the love she planted in the small acts of care that multiplied after she was gone. It lives in the quiet strength she left behind, the kind that teaches a community how to stand tall even while grieving.
She was Abake Ogbo, omo won ni ilu Igbeti. two heritages with the same thread of grace. That bridge she built between homes and hearts does not crumble with time. If anything, memory has made it stronger.
Grief softens, but remembrance sharpens. One year later, we do not just miss Olori Solape Abolarin. We measure ourselves against the standard she set: to lead with humility, to serve with warmth, to leave every room and every life better than we met it.
Sun re o, my sister. May your beautiful soul rest in peace. And may your memory continue to reign in our hearts, guiding the palace, Oke-Ila, Igbeti, and all who were touched by you, for many years to come.Those we love do not go away. They walk beside us every day. Olori Solape Abolarin, we see you every day!
Tunji Oladejo, mnipr, JP, MANUPA, mspsp, writes from the University of Ibadan, is the Chairman of The Progressive Forum, Ibadan (TPFI); and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Bayo and Bimpe Oyero Foundation (BBOF) and the 2026 Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) Icon of Ibadan Heritage Awardee via oladejo65@gmail.com. 08077284442
