A Yoruba historian, Rufus Adebowale, has disagreed
with feuding Yoruba monarchs, the Awujale of
Ijebuland, Sikiru Adetona, and the Alake of
Egbaland, Adedotun Gbadebo, on their perspectives
on the hierarchy of Yoruba traditional stools.
He said both the Awujale and the Alake were
inaccurate in their analyses of the history of the
Yoruba race.
Mr. Adebowale, a prince from the Okukenu ruling
house of Egbaland, however backed Oba Gbadebo in
some of his claims and attacked Oba Adetona for
being critical of the Egba monarch.
The historian spoke to journalists in Abeokuta on
Friday while reacting to the widely publicized
contentions between the traditional rulers on the
seniority of their stools.
According to him, Awujale is a foreigner in Yoruba
land, as the Ijebus originated from Wadai in Sudan.
Mr. Adebowale said as a foreigner in Yorubaland,
the Awujale and his Ijebu people lacked the
authority to speak on the history of the Yoruba
race.
The 72-year old historian also declared that the
Alake distorted history by claiming that Alaafin was
next to the Ooni of Ife.
He said the statement credited to the Awujale that
the Alake was a junior traditional ruler was very
insulting and a distortion of history.
Mr. Adebowale said, “I read about the tongue-
lashing of Awujale on my royal father, he said
Alake is a junior Oba in Yorubaland, this is a great
distortion of history.
“My royal father is extraordinarily humble, he
manages peace and unity and not crises and that is
why he is ignoring all those things from the
Awujale,” he said.
“In the first instance, Awujale shouldn’t have
dabbled into the issue of Obas in Yorubaland
because he is not of Oduduwa origin, the Ijebus
came from Wadai and my contemporary authority
is Pa Olusegun Obasanjo because he had put it to
Awujale himself that they are not Oduduwa
descendants.
“What Awujale said was very insulting and a great
distortion of history. Our progenitor father is
Oduduwa who came from Saudi Arabia. When he
was coming from Saudi Arabia, he came with an
aide who was later named Ooni, by the time he was
dying, he left all he had in the possession of Ooni;
Omonide, his wife; and Okanbi, the only
surviving son.
“First of all, the Ijebus know who is who in
Yorubaland, their progenitor father emulated
Oduduwa, they are from Wadai, that man heard
that Oduduwa had settled down in a place called Ife,
he also came down and settled.”
According to Mr. Adebowale, who is from the same
ruling house with the incumbent Alake, the correct
order of seniority ranks the Ooni of Ife as the
foremost Oba in Yoruba land, while the Alake is the
third behind the Oba of Benin.
“Alake said Ooni is the foremost Oba in Yorubaland,
that is very correct, because Ooni had known
Omonide and Okanbi who now beget the Obas in
Yorubaland.
“There is a part of the history that says that
Oduduwa died at Ife. Omonide, Oduduwa’s wife died
in Egba forest at Alake’s place.
“So, when she died at Egba forest, she was buried
and when the Egbas were coming to Abeokuta in
1830 August, they came to Abeokuta with the pots
which she was using in preparing concoctions for
her children; they were at Ake palace here where we
worship Omonide every year.”
He explained that other Obas in Yorubaland,
including the Alafin of Oyo, had never contested the
superiority of the Alake.
“So all others, they do not contend superiority with
Alake; the Orangun, Owa Obokun, and some others
like Alaketu, so you can see now that to say Alaafin
is next to Ooni is a great distortion of history, Mr.
Adebowale said.
“What I am contending here is that Awujale who is
not of Yoruba origin cannot be requesting for
yardstick in setting out our seniority cadre.
“Both Awujale and Alake lacked history. If Alake is
Alake of Ake, what concerns Awujale who is a
foreigner? We are grandchildren of Oduduwa.”
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