•Being goodwill remarks by Taye Ige, President/CEO, HS Media Group, at Tomi Falade’s Book Party 2.0 held in Lagos on Sunday, August 2, 2026

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

I am delighted to be here today.

I had intended to introduce myself as Tomi’s good friend. However, when she presented me with autographed copies of her first two books, she described me in the inscription simply as her “acquaintance.” So, in the interest of literary accuracy—and because one must never publicly contradict an author at her own book presentation—I stand before you today as Tomi Falade’s very proud acquaintance.

But our affinity goes well beyond “acquaintanceship.” We are both graduates of English and Literature; we are both journalists; and we are both deeply invested in the power of words. That shared intellectual and professional background has taught us that words do far more than entertain: they document society, interrogate the present, recover memory and preserve human experience.

We also share an important geographical bond. Tomi hails from Efon-Alaye in Ekiti State, which happens to be my own birthplace.

When Tomi gave me those autographed copies of her first two books, I was immediately struck by the remarkable range they represented.

“Dates from Hell” introduced us to Tomi the keen observer of contemporary life: witty, perceptive and able to locate compelling stories within familiar human encounters that do not always proceed according to plan. Drawing inspiration from real experiences, the book discovers humour, irony and even wisdom in the occasionally bewildering world of relationships.

Then came “OLOBÙN: Matriarch of Ondo, Mother of Legacy”—a work of an altogether different historical and cultural temperament. Here, Tomi reaches back into the 15th century to recover and reanimate the story of a formidable woman whose journey became foundational to the history and identity of the Ondo Kingdom.

Placed side by side, those two books reveal something important about Tomi Falade. She is not confined to one literary register. She can explore the humorous complications of contemporary relationships in one work and then enter the demanding terrain of history, royalty, exile, identity and legacy in another. What unites both works is her fascination with real human experience and her ability to discover the extraordinary story hidden within it.

Today’s presentation of two additional books confirms that her first outing was no literary accident. Tomi is steadily and deliberately building a distinct body of work.

One of today’s books, “Aláyémore: The Twice-Crowned King”, is especially personal to me. The history from which it draws is not distant history to either Tomi or me. It forms part of our shared ancestral and cultural geography as people connected to Efon-Alaye.

But the idea of a twice-crowned ruler also provides an intriguing bridge between the traditional history captured in Tomi’s book and Nigeria’s contemporary political experience.

In our national history, we have witnessed two remarkable examples of men who could be described—metaphorically—as twice-crowned leaders.

General Olusegun Obasanjo first governed Nigeria as a military Head of State between 1976 and 1979. Two decades later, he returned to the nation’s highest office—this time through the ballot box—as an elected civilian President.

Major-General Muhammadu Buhari similarly governed as military Head of State between 1983 and 1985. Thirty years later, he too returned to power as an elected President.

Both men, therefore, wore the crown of national leadership twice—but under two fundamentally different constitutional orders. The first crown came through the command structure of military rule; the second was bestowed by the electorate under democracy.

Their respective political records will continue to attract differing interpretations, as history must. But their journeys remind us that power can depart and return; that a leader may be called upon—or may seek—to serve in a different age, under altered circumstances and with an entirely different source of legitimacy.

This is one of the enduring attractions of history. A story rooted in the traditional institution of Efon-Alaye can still provoke reflection on leadership, legitimacy, transition, restoration and the changing character of political authority in modern Nigeria. In that sense, “Aláyémore: The Twice-Crowned King” is not only a journey into the past; its central idea carries a striking resonance for our own time.

I also had the privilege of offering a little assistance when Tomi was sourcing materials for the book. I emphasise “a little assistance” because the demanding work—the painstaking research, interpretation, imagination and transformation of historical material into an engaging literary experience—is entirely hers. Nevertheless, that modest involvement allowed me to appreciate the seriousness and determination with which she approached the subject.

Through Aláyémore, Tomi turns her creative attention homeward. She retrieves from the history of Efon-Alaye the compelling story of a twice-crowned king and makes it accessible to contemporary readers and future generations. For those of us connected to Efon-Alaye, therefore, this is more than a literary work; it is an act of cultural preservation and reclamation.

Together with “Orompotoniyun: 12 Nights for a Crown”, the two new books deepen Tomi’s engagement with royalty, leadership, female agency, history and Yoruba cultural memory. Through one work after another, she is emerging as a literary custodian of important stories that might otherwise remain inaccessible or gradually disappear from public consciousness.

This achievement is even more impressive because Tomi continues to meet the unrelenting demands of journalism. We both know that journalism is a jealous and exacting profession—one that consumes time, energy and imagination. Yet, amid the daily pressure of recording and interpreting the present, Tomi has found the discipline to interrogate the past and preserve it for the future.

Tomi—my friend, fellow graduate of English and Literature, fellow journalist, compatriot of Efon-Alaye and, of course, my officially designated “acquaintance”—I congratulate you warmly.

Four books within such a relatively short period represent not only talent but discipline, courage and remarkable creative productivity. May these new works travel far beyond this gathering. May they find readers across generations, stimulate renewed interest in our history and ultimately find expression beyond the printed page—on stage and on screen.

Most importantly, may you never lose the curiosity, courage and creative restlessness that have brought you this far.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in celebrating my very dear “acquaintance,” our daughter of Efon-Alaye, journalist, author and increasingly important custodian of our cultural memory—Tomi Falade.

Congratulations, Tomi.

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