Performative moral governance in the Gelede festival among the Ketu-Yoruba

Based on six months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Imeko, Iwoye-Ketu, Ile-Ketu, and Idigny between June and December 2023, the study examines how Efe performance functions as a medium of public moral commentary within Gelede ritual practice. Efe performances employ satire, song, drumming, humour, and metaphor to address issues such as economic hardship, migration, changing family structures, and political dissatisfaction. Audience participation, performer improvisation, and the authority associated with awun iya. (maternal spiritual elders) shape how these messages are interpreted and negotiated within the community. Drawing on performance theory, Yoruba gender scholarship, and discussions of indigenous moral authority, the study argues that Gelede functions not only as ritual spectacle, but also as a culturally recognised space for negotiating social responsibility, evaluating conduct, and reaffirming communal values under changing social conditions.