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Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife - Culture (3) - Nairaland

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Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by Kilode1: 12:59am On Dec 30, 2010
dayokanu:

Oduduwa might have lived in Mecca at a time when Islam was not in existence there



It might be before the separation of  the African-Arabian tectonic plate because I can't imagine how they can trek from Mecca to Ile-Ife or even Congo.

We need more tectonic researchers here, Dayokanu, I thought you are into geology or something related to that, Oya, laa ye wa ka gbo cheesy
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by dayokanu(m): 1:30am On Dec 30, 2010
Why cant they trek? Did you hear the story of Mansa Musa the Emperor of Mali Empire.

It doesnt have to be trekking when they can have donkeys, camels and horses
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by Kilode1: 2:34am On Dec 30, 2010
^Actually that's true, the Mansa Musa myth said he journeyed to Mecca abi na medina, but that took years though.

I know history said the Oyo Empire had a well developed calvary force. I assume they bought the horses from Arab traders in the North because I'm not so sure the thick Rainforest of southern west Africa had an horse friendly topography then.

So how did the Yorubas acquire a religion of their own and created Ifa and the Odu's if they were from Islamic or Judaic Arabia?

Or do we have evidence of linkages between Ifa and the Abrahamic religions?
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by dayokanu(m): 5:15am On Dec 30, 2010
Islam might not have been in existence in their time in the middle East.

Also the father of Oduduwa according to stories was Lamurudu (Which some writers said is the biblical Nimrod), They were idol worshipers in their time.

Even reading the bible you would know that only the Israelites were Judaic their neighbours were reputed to be idol worshipers.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by tpia1: 7:59am On Dec 30, 2010
So how did the Yorubas acquire a religion of their own and created Ifa and the Odu's if they were from Islamic or Judaic Arabia?

Or do we have evidence of linkages between Ifa and the Abrahamic religions?



https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-373995.0.html

ignore the thread derailers there.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by Kilode1: 3:48pm On Dec 30, 2010
^ Thank you for the link! There are some Wild claims on that thread, I enjoyed reading it though. Too many NL Toponymists and etymologists on there Lol.

I've observed that we tend to see similarities across cultures, language and religion if we look hard enough, at least geologists believe we all lived on the same pangea super-continent before plate tectonics caused a split.

I won't dismiss or accept the wild claims yet. Obviously humans didn't drop from the sky and there must have been some long distance movements. The devil will be in the details. . .

But I can easily embrace all these origin stories. I doubt we will ever discover the truth but, for me, they all point to the rich historical heritage of the Yorubas and the evolution of their rich civilized culture.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by tpia1: 9:19pm On Dec 30, 2010
I've observed that we tend to see similarities across cultures, language and religion if we look hard enough


true, that's because human history isnt static.

people migrate, exchange, borrow, etc etc.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by riyageh(f): 7:21am On Dec 31, 2010
I have one question to those who dispute the connection between the Binis and Yoruba, why will the Bini ppl allow a foreigner to rule over them, the same proud poeple who defied the stand-in (regent) passing the staff of office to his son at death. We never have doubts about our King. These are two tribes existing independently with a connection. To ask the Oba of Benin, Erediauwa Omo n oba nedo Uku Akpolokpolo to pay homage to the Ooni of Ife, is just as bad as me asking the Ooni of Ife to pay homage to Eredaiuwa. This issue has been beaten to death particularly in 2004 on the public pages of a Nigerian paper. Even historians do not agree completely. Ekaladerhan was the banished priest found in Ife, so how does Ife become superior? Ekaladerhan was unable to return to Bini, it was no longer home, he had a new family, people dependent on him, but he could not abandon his people, he still had a duty as the only surviving Ogiso to the Bini people so he sent his son in his stead. This relationship explains why his rule was accepted by the people, and why his progeny was made king.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by tpia1: 3:37pm On Dec 31, 2010
Ekaladerhan was the banished priest found in Ife


not really set in stone.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by jnrcargo(m): 2:19pm On Apr 25, 2011
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Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by Nobody: 2:59pm On Apr 25, 2011
there never has been an overall king of the yorubas.that is a myth. however the greatest hegemony that existed among yorubas was the oyo empire under the alaafin.

i think the word EMPIRE tells all.
it was imperialistic and always regarded as such. therefore there were always attempts to undermine it from the various nations in the empire e.g. ondo,ijebu etc.
most people alive (from the area)) today have always called themselves yoruba but there is a different history and reality.

at any rate there was never a time that all yorubas were under the control of the alaafin

just like arabs and israelites trace their ancestry to abraham so also for the various omo odudua who constituted various nations. this idea of a yoruba nation is a modern creation which appears useful to those now calling themselves yorubas. in fact the word yoruba is probably 3 or fewer centuries old and is not indigenous.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by amor4ce(m): 12:08am On May 02, 2011
All of you posters who say that the Alaafin of Oyo was above all other Yoruba Obas:
*have you ever studied the extent and direction of the then Oyo Empire?
*have you come across the history of the Ijebu people and can you confidently say that the Alaafin conquered any Ijebu (http://www.noidusa.org/ijebuoriginandhistory.html) territory?
*Hasn't the Ooni's position always been prominent in Yoruba land irrespective of Oyo's past conquests?

To those arguing about the Oduduwa and Benin, how come there hasn't been IMO much information from the Benin people about their history prior to the Obas, that is, the origin of the Ogiso's and events during this period? Below is a quote from a document (http://www.ijebuassociation.org/history.htm) about the history of Oduduwa which clearly disputes the Benin version and which also seems to puncture claims about the Oyo Empire of old as having supremacy over the rest of Yorubaland.


Ijebu traditional historians tend to stick to the migration legend that the people migrated to their present territory from a region of Sudan called Waddai which means that the Ijebu had a parallel migration wave just like other Yoruba who believe they came to their present abode via Oduduwa. That claim seems to be corroborated by a publication by one Hailemariam which states that "the most powerful people that the Negede Orit (ancient Ethiopian immigrant into Africa) met in East Africa were the Jebus." Their King was claimed to be so influential that he appointed the gover nors of Yemen. If that king was the same Olu-Iwa, the legendary first Ruler of Ijebuland, we do not know, The Yorubas in Nubia were the nearest people to the Ijebus in Owo aiye. Even the Ijebus differ from the Yoruba in many respects. For example, while the main Yoruba group practice circumcision on both male and female members of the family, the Ijebus never practice it on the female members; the Yorubas used to bore the lower part of the ear in both male and female while the male never bore in Ijebu.
The first major wave of Sudanese that entered Nigeria was led by Iwase who came to Ife several centu¬ries before the major Sudanese immigrations under Oduduwa and Olu-Iwa. The Iwase group of immigrants came during the reign of Esumare of Ife Erinrin. The next groups of Sudanese immigrants were the Ijebus and the kindred peoples under Olu-Iwa, who entered the country at about the same time as the Yoruba under Oduduwa. There are many reasons to believe that they arrived before the main Yoruba group. The most important reason was stated in a Yoruba tradition that when Oduduwa was alive, he became partially blind and went to consult Agbonniregun, an Ife Priest, with a view to finding out what he must apply to his eyes to regain his sight. Agbonniregun recommended brine and so Oduduwa had to send one of his sons, Obokun, to the sea to bring him sea water. The latter wandered for many years in vain until he came to the King of Ijebu for help. This king sent a messenger to guide him to the sea and on Obokun's re¬turn to Ijebu, the King of the ljebus (Lewu Legusen) gave Obokun medicines for Oduduwa's eyes. And when Oduduwa applied the brine and the medicine, he regained his sight. The above tradition shows that the ljebus were in Nigeria before the main Yoruba stock because the king of Ijebu referred to was the fifth Awujale. In appreciation of this service, Oduduwa determined to visit the King of Ijebu, but he died about fifteen miles east of Ijebu-Ode. His followers settled down at Idofe, a town which has now become extinct.

Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by sulad82i(m): 4:37pm On May 06, 2011
[size=18pt]Owee (Proverb)[/size]
Ojo pa alapa o di amugun fun ewure

Eniti to tu ito si le ton paa re, o mo nkan ti won nfi ito se ni

af'Apoti rori kii gbadun oorun.

Olobe lo loko

Ai gbo'fa la n wo'ke, ifa kan ko si ni para

Ileke ma ja sile ma ja soko ibikan sa lo ma ja si


This and many more on facebook group
Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=130674528822
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by lucabrasi(m): 11:44pm On May 20, 2011
wow,i dont believe this thread is still live smiley however my sentiments and the general consensus so sar seem to favour the allafin of oyo as the bonafide politica head of the yorubas.ifit is contention now then at some point in history something must have happened for the ooni to challenge this.i am really learning a lot from the isightful comments of you guys thanks
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by sweetgala(m): 10:24am On Jul 13, 2011
I do not know the full history of the yoruba people, Aderemi from what I have gathered throughout his lifetime he sat as the chairman/head of the yoruba council of kings, a positive reinforced by the Older Alafin of Oyo. When the present Alafin came into power he resented Aderemi's positive as head and refused to bow to him, he was later forced by the king of Egba to do so.
The kings at the time were usually old and held strong traditionally views, so to appoint the ooni as a head of council could be to support the notion of the ooni as a custodian of rituals rytes , or political as Aderemi was well educated and he was a sucessful visit man with influence and knowledge to befriend the king of England.
This is all I know of the recent history.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by NegroNtns(m): 11:07am On Jul 13, 2011
do not know the full history of the yoruba people, I am a grandson of oba Adesoji Aderemi

What's your name? Send to me in email if you cannot disclose publicly.

That's weird!!
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by tpia5: 1:56pm On Jul 13, 2011
Weird?

Many yorubas do not really know the full history of the yoruba people.

They tend to be familiar with only the history of their own area.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by amor4ce(m): 3:35am On Jul 14, 2011
Was there ever a council of Obas for the whole of Yorubaland or ar you not referring to Oyo state? Once again I ask for any record indicating that the Ijebu people were ever under Alaafin.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by kenny1961: 7:36pm On Oct 27, 2011
A SHORT HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EFON ALAAYE

The history of Efon Alaaye, as an ancient town, dates back to 1200 A. D. In accordance with the historical facts, the founder and the first Alaaye of Efon Alaaye was Obalufon Alaayemore, the third king of the Yoruba race, who reigned at Ile-Ife, whose ancestor was the founder and father of Yorubas, Oduduwa, otherwise known as Odua.

Obalufon Alaayemore, third Oba of Ife, was the son of Obalufon Ogbogbodirin, second ruler of Ile-Ife and eldest grandson of Oduduwa who lived and reigned for an unusually long period. The same Obalufon Alaayemore was one of the brothers of Oranyan, whose children (Ajaka and Eweka) were crowned by him (Oranyan) as the Alaafin of Oyo and Oba of Benin Kingdoms respectively.

Obalufon Alaayemore ascended the ancient and most important throne of Oduduwa when his brother Oranyan, who was supposed to ascend the throne of Ife after Obalufon Ogbogbodirin, was on sojourn at Benin and Oyo.

On the return of Oranyan from Benin and Oyo Kingdoms, after installing his sons as Obas of these kingdoms to ascend the throne of Ife. Obalufon Alaayemore fled from Ife to found Efon Alaaye in Ekiti. When Oranyan died, Obalufon Alaayemore was recalled from Efon Alaaye to ascend the throne of Oduduwa at Ife, for the second time and he thus became the third and fifth ruler of Yoruba race reigning at Ife. Before he left Efon Alaaye, Obalufon Alaayemore installed his son Adudu Oranku as Oranyan did at Benin and Oyo as the second Alaaye in his place and decorated him with all the paraphernalia of kingship and the kingship has ever remained within the lineage uninterrupted since 1200 A. D.

According to the Royal list of 1931, Alaaye of Efon was listed as number 16 among all the Obas in Yorubaland. Extracts from the Nigerian Government Gazette of 28th February, 1903 relating to the special meeting of Central Native council which was presided over by the Colonial Governor, Sir William MacGregor, the Ooni listed Alaaye of Efon as number eleven among leading Yoruba Obas to whom crowns have been given by the Ooni of Ife, ( and number four with regard to Ondo State).
With its unique historical facts and background, Efon Alaaye had been a Sovereign Yoruba kingdom as far back as 1200 A. D.; and it is blessed with rich traditional and cultural heritage.

Before the introduction of the Local Government system of administration into Nigeria, Efon Alaaye, as a sovereign Yoruba Kingdom, enjoyed a kind of traditional political democracy. The administration of the kingdom was in the hands of the Oba-In-Council, made up of the Oba and six Chiefs. Each of the six Chiefs was and still is a head of one of the six quarters that make up the town.

Tell me, who is the greatest

2 Likes

Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by Nobody: 12:20am On Dec 16, 2012
Note for your records, Obalufon was a very popular king who gave beaded crowns to many Yoruba kingdom. The popular Ife bronze head(the one with the beaded crown) made using the lost wax method sitting in a museum in London is called the head of Obalufon, 3rd ooni of ife. There is also an ancient Yoruba town located in Osun state still existing till date. The name of the town is called Ifon-Osun-Orolu.

The Olufon’s(king of Ifon) rights to wear
beaded crowns were reconfirmed by Obalufon during
the latter’s reign as Ooni of Ife in succession to
Oduduwa. It is a fact, universally acknowledged in Yorubaland, It is also vividly recalled that
initially the Alaafin of Oyo originally had no crown.
This should not be surprising as one is aware of the
account recorded by the Reverend Samuel Johnson in
his book The History of the Yorubas (C.M.S. Lagos,
1922) to the effect that the first Alaafin was badly
treated and that his heritage from Oduduwa’s estate
was very pitiable. When Oyo was established,
therefore, even though the Alaafin had legal rights,
being a DIRECT descendant of Oduduwa, he had no
crown of his own. It was in fact one of the crowns of
the Olufon-Orolu that was given to the Alaafin. In
fact in the evolution of the Oyo monarchical system,
the Alaafin benefited immensely from the concept of
divine kingship already established in Ifon-Orolu. The
common saying in the Oyo area which recalls this
incident graphically, is worth repeating here:
Lade Lade Lade
Alaafin o lade
Ninu Ade Olufon Orolu
L’agba fun Alaafin
(On the issue of having a crown
The Alaafin had no crown
It was from the crowns of Olufon Orolu
That we took (one) for the Alaafin... grin grin grin

1 Like

Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by ykalhaji(m): 7:45am On Mar 16, 2013
Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife ko, Baale of ilu kekere ni. All of them no get power again joor. There was never a de-factor leader of the Yoruba people(There was really never a Yoruba people) There were different kingdoms that their kings claimed decadency from Oduduwa, there was only the military superior kingdom or whatever, each king is equally as powerful as the next based on military and economic power, just like the world today.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by juman(m): 2:15pm On Mar 16, 2013
What concern masses about the title of the thread.

Good living has slipped away from the masses' hand, so everybody is in poverty.

How do the masses going to live a good life is most important to the masses.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by honifome(m): 12:52pm On Apr 23, 2013
IKU BABA YEYE(one who orders death sentence)
ALASE EKEJI ORISA(second in command to gods)
OBA TI N FOBA JE(the king that crown kings)
OBA TI N GBA IDOBALE OBA(the king that accepts kings salute).....this is just an extract from alaafin of oyo eulogies.
At the peak of oyo empire,yoruba glory was at its acme,oyo dominates political leadership of the entire yoruba kingdoms,our unity was like collection of brooms tied together to do the sweeping,the empire created strong defence tactics against the neigbouring enemies and were forced to pay tributes at oyos will in those days.Alaafin of oyo confirmed the appointments of prominent obas such as alake of egbaland,osile oke ona,olowu of owu,onisabe of sabe,alaketu of ketu,owa obokun of ijesha land etc before their independence conquests.Alaafin approved the establishment of other thrones such as awujale of ijebuland,soun of ogbomoso,olubadan of ibadan,timi of ede etc.
Oyo dynasty designed prominent military rulers for yoruba such as bashorun and aare ona kakanfo.Alaafin has the final say on disputes between obas and other other yoruba kingdoms.oyo conquest expanded yoruba land greatly at the peak of the empire.ile ife was recognise as cradle and sacred place for yoruba.Hence it's duty of oyo to protect ife from attack and no oba was recognized by alaafin but the chief priest called ooni.NOW DO YOU EXPECT ALAAFIN OF OYO TO ACCEPT SUPREMACY FROM OONI OF IFE?As far as I am concerned ALAAFIN IS AN INSTITUTION.Ooni is lucky that this generation is clearly different from the past otherwise alaafin would have dealt with him like kurumi of ijaye who attempted to undermine alaafin atiba succession decision. we were the architect of the empire and we buldozed it due to some so called liberation moves by our forefathers at the expense of our unity.we are now bearing the brunts of the fallen empire which was the second largest in africa after egyptian empire.We could have been a nation of our own at present had some mistakes been avoided because we are the most populous homogenous blac race in the world and we have thel resources.It' a pity that our present traditional rulers have not learned from the mistakes of our ancestors.YORUBA RONU!
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by alemunile: 5:29pm On May 02, 2013
wow. thank u all for all your effort and input. I have learned so much about Yoruba land and the culture from reading all the infos. great job to u all. please keep it coming. u are helping our kids with history. I don't think the teach this in school anymore,!!
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by alemunile: 9:13pm On May 03, 2013
Whether elementary or advanced history, Alaafin is the Head of Yoruba Obas. Ooni was a son of palace slave (captive) turned priest that perform fetish sacrifices for Oodua. Olojudo-Alayemero of Ido-Osun and his sycophant OPC stooge (Frederick Fasheun) should stop distorting history. Ooni is not one of children of Oduduwa. Alaafin Oranmiyan (1st IKU BABA YEYE) initially ruled at Ile Ife before transferring the political headquarters of Yoruba race to Oyo Ile. Since then Oyo had became the ancient Yoruba Capital City and the paramount ruler since then was Alaafin Ornamiyan and his progeny. Ooni is not one of Oduduwa's 7 children and 16 grand children. Modern days fake Odu-Ifa that tends to re-write Yoruba history in favor of Sijuwade is not acceptable. Sijuwade is, no doubt, richer than Alaafin but Alaafin is legitimate child of Oduduwa and Ooni was not. While Orangun Ila, Alaketu and other Yoruba children scarmbled to inherit Oduduwa monies and wives, Alaafin Oranmiyan (though the youngest child) outsmarted his senior brothers by chooising to inherit all Yoruba lands that his brothers considered 'invaluable' then. He later became the Yoruba landlord (owner of Yorubaland) to whom others Yoruba kings paid rent (Isakole). Because he had all the land, he became the greatest Yoruba monarch that founded one of the greatests empire in Africa. Alaafin suzeranity covered not only the present Yoruba areas of present Western Nigeria, it also extends to Benin Republic and Dahomey and larger part of West of Africa. Based on the foregoing, it is crystal clear that both Fredereick Fasheun and Olojudo-Alayemero of Ido-Osun (Sijuwade errand boys) were wrong for insinuating that Ooni (the child of palace slave) is greater than Alaafin (the Oduduwa legitimate child) that ruled over the whole of Yorubaland after the demise of his father Oduduwa. To further butress this arguement, Alaafin Adeyemi 1 who is grandfather to the present Oba Lamidi Adeyemi was recognised by colonialists as the head of Yoruba race and he had always signed treateies as the Head of Yoruba Nation. No other Yoruba Obas (including Ooni) had ever attained that exalted status in the Yoruba history. By tradition, Alaafin remains the most superior king and the paramount ruler of Yorubaland. Plethoria of evidence abound in the federal and state government archives that previous Alaafin had always hosted and presided of Yoruba Obas meeting because Alaafinate is second to none in Yorubaland. Ooni sijuwade may be richer or older than Lamidi Adeyemi, Oba Adeyemi stil remains superior because Yoruba Obaship is determined by tradition (not mundane factors). Imagine Elejigbo of Ejigbo Osun State, because of monetary inducement, now recanting his archived statement. Recently he said that Ooni was superior to Alaafin. But his archived statement he signed with other Yoruba Obas several years ago confirmed that Alaafin was Head of Yoruba Obas. Yoruba Obas shopuld not because of monetary gains turned our history upside down to please their sponsor. There is no harm in being a sycophant Obas that kowtow a wealthy king for monetary support, but Yoruba will not allow new generation (latter days) monarchs to distort our hsitory tha placed Alaafin over other Obas in Yorubaland. If not for the politics of AC/UPN era that supported sijuwade against Alaafin, who is Ooni of Ife to challenge Alaafin's supreamcy? Late Chief Awolowo deserve all acollades for his archivements in Western Nigeria and I am also a beneficairy of his free education but with due respect to the late sage, it was his greatest mistake for allowing politics to overide the tradition by supporting imosition of Ooni over Alaafin. If not for political disgreement between late Awolowo and Oba Adeyemi II, there will be no controversy because Yoruba Obas had long submitted to Alaafin's leadership prior to politics era. I am a legitimate Yoruba and I herein empahsize that Alaafin is the most supreme Oba in the Yoruba land (Ooni was not). To crown it all, Alaafin insitution has the exclusive authoity to confer any Yoruba Chieftaincy title accross Yoruba land. Alaafin appointed Late Ladoke Akintola and Chief M.K.O. Abiola as Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland. No Ooni has ever done that in Yoruba history, then who is superior. Sijuwade attempt to confer Akinrogun of Yorubaland on Tom Ikimi of NRC for political reasons was rejected by Yorubas because they beleive that tradition only allows Alaafin to confer title across Yorubaland. Recently, he successfuly conferred Aare-Baamofin of Yorubaland on Senior Advocate Afe Babalola, and the Yorubas supported him. when I read that one Olojudo kicked against the celebartion of our dear Mrs. Alaba Lawson as Iyalode of Yorubaland, I laughed because no Obas could stop Alaafin from doing what the tradition allows him to do. Besides, our Iyalode had already received her letter of appointment and we supported her conferment, it is just a matter of time when the celebartion will be performed because Alaafin had never lost any battle. Once again, ALAAFIN IS THE HEAD OF YORUBA OBAS AND HE IS SUPERIOR TO OONI OF IFE. Thank you.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by alemunile: 9:15pm On May 03, 2013
[/color]
alemunile: Whether elementary or advanced history, Alaafin is the Head of Yoruba Obas. Ooni was a son of palace slave (captive) turned priest that perform fetish sacrifices for Oodua. Olojudo-Alayemero of Ido-Osun and his sycophant OPC stooge (Frederick Fasheun) should stop distorting history. Ooni is not one of children of Oduduwa. Alaafin Oranmiyan (1st IKU BABA YEYE) initially ruled at Ile Ife before transferring the political headquarters of Yoruba race to Oyo Ile. Since then Oyo had became the ancient Yoruba Capital City and the paramount ruler since then was Alaafin Ornamiyan and his progeny. Ooni is not one of Oduduwa's 7 children and 16 grand children. Modern days fake Odu-Ifa that tends to re-write Yoruba history in favor of Sijuwade is not acceptable. Sijuwade is, no doubt, richer than Alaafin but Alaafin is legitimate child of Oduduwa and Ooni was not. While Orangun Ila, Alaketu and other Yoruba children scarmbled to inherit Oduduwa monies and wives, Alaafin Oranmiyan (though the youngest child) outsmarted his senior brothers by chooising to inherit all Yoruba lands that his brothers considered 'invaluable' then. He later became the Yoruba landlord (owner of Yorubaland) to whom others Yoruba kings paid rent (Isakole). Because he had all the land, he became the greatest Yoruba monarch that founded one of the greatests empire in Africa. Alaafin suzeranity covered not only the present Yoruba areas of present Western Nigeria, it also extends to Benin Republic and Dahomey and larger part of West of Africa. Based on the foregoing, it is crystal clear that both Fredereick Fasheun and Olojudo-Alayemero of Ido-Osun (Sijuwade errand boys) were wrong for insinuating that Ooni (the child of palace slave) is greater than Alaafin (the Oduduwa legitimate child) that ruled over the whole of Yorubaland after the demise of his father Oduduwa. To further butress this arguement, Alaafin Adeyemi 1 who is grandfather to the present Oba Lamidi Adeyemi was recognised by colonialists as the head of Yoruba race and he had always signed treateies as the Head of Yoruba Nation. No other Yoruba Obas (including Ooni) had ever attained that exalted status in the Yoruba history. By tradition, Alaafin remains the most superior king and the paramount ruler of Yorubaland. Plethoria of evidence abound in the federal and state government archives that previous Alaafin had always hosted and presided of Yoruba Obas meeting because Alaafinate is second to none in Yorubaland. Ooni sijuwade may be richer or older than Lamidi Adeyemi, Oba Adeyemi stil remains superior because Yoruba Obaship is determined by tradition (not mundane factors). Imagine Elejigbo of Ejigbo Osun State, because of monetary inducement, now recanting his archived statement. Recently he said that Ooni was superior to Alaafin. But his archived statement he signed with other Yoruba Obas several years ago confirmed that Alaafin was Head of Yoruba Obas. Yoruba Obas shopuld not because of monetary gains turned our history upside down to please their sponsor. There is no harm in being a sycophant Obas that kowtow a wealthy king for monetary support, but Yoruba will not allow new generation (latter days) monarchs to distort our hsitory tha placed Alaafin over other Obas in Yorubaland. If not for the politics of AC/UPN era that supported sijuwade against Alaafin, who is Ooni of Ife to challenge Alaafin's supreamcy? Late Chief Awolowo deserve all acollades for his archivements in Western Nigeria and I am also a beneficairy of his free education but with due respect to the late sage, it was his greatest mistake for allowing politics to overide the tradition by supporting imosition of Ooni over Alaafin. If not for political disgreement between late Awolowo and Oba Adeyemi II, there will be no controversy because Yoruba Obas had long submitted to Alaafin's leadership prior to politics era. I am a legitimate Yoruba and I herein empahsize that Alaafin is the most supreme Oba in the Yoruba land (Ooni was not). To crown it all, Alaafin insitution has the exclusive authoity to confer any Yoruba Chieftaincy title accross Yoruba land. Alaafin appointed Late Ladoke Akintola and Chief M.K.O. Abiola as Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland. No Ooni has ever done that in Yoruba history, then who is superior. Sijuwade attempt to confer Akinrogun of Yorubaland on Tom Ikimi of NRC for political reasons was rejected by Yorubas because they beleive that tradition only allows Alaafin to confer title across Yorubaland. Recently, he successfuly conferred Aare-Baamofin of Yorubaland on Senior Advocate Afe Babalola, and the Yorubas supported him. when I read that one Olojudo kicked against the celebartion of our dear Mrs. Alaba Lawson as Iyalode of Yorubaland, I laughed because no Obas could stop Alaafin from doing what the tradition allows him to do. Besides, our Iyalode had already received her letter of appointment and we supported her conferment, it is just a matter of time when the celebartion will be performed because Alaafin had never lost any battle. Once again, ALAAFIN IS THE HEAD OF YORUBA OBAS AND HE IS SUPERIOR TO OONI OF IFE. Thank you.
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Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by alemunile: 9:19pm On May 03, 2013
Wow!!! this guy olumota knows what his talking about. sound like his the oba of imota himself Ajibade Ranadu. the brother to bimpe eleba in itunmoja. That guy broke it all down. he spoke like a traditional ruler that knows history. am loving all this info you all. thanks for the knowledge. BEAUTIFUL.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by AbewelaRoyal: 10:11am On Jun 04, 2013
The fact is that right from the time of Oduduwa(who met Yoruba people in Ile-Ife) and long before the ascendancy to the Ooni stool of Sijuwade's great grand father, The Ooni has been the undisputable Head of the Yoruba race. No Alafin had ever questioned this because, Oranmiyan, Oduduwa's last born formed Oyo and this was after the Benin kingdom had been formed long time ago. Action Groups politics which removed the Great Grand father of the present Alafin from the throne is the cause of the present Alafin's annoyance moreso that Ooni Sijuwade is known to be an Action Group's and Late Awolowo's staunch sympathizer. Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, himself (having been taught in his elementary education) knows Ooni is his father as well as the father of the Yoruba race and any Ooni of Ife is standing as the present Oduduwa. We shouldnt allow politics to distort and/or destroy our golden history which should be the pillar of our unity. Obas of Benin, Orangun of Ile, Owa of Ilesha and other senior and elder brothers of the last born Oranmiyan (who formed Oyo before returning home to, died and enshrined in Ile Ife) never question the headship of the Ooni.

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Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by honifome(m): 10:10pm On Jun 16, 2013
[color=#000099][/color]alaafin is an institution not just across oyo but the entire yoruba race and allies stretching across the woodland savannah in the northern yorubaland towards the defunct dahomey,togo departments and enclaving them towards the atlantic coast after military expeditions.The name oyo sounds fearsome in those days.Alaafin installed and confirmed obas appointment in yorubaland while they renewed their allegiance yearly during bere festival. Instructions from oyo is strictly adhere to and there is punishment for disobedience,tax evasion,undermining alaafin orders and oyo festivities etc such as dahomey expeditions,joint oyo-dahomey versus ashante military expeditions,eba odan (ibadan) invasion by alaafin sango after stripping off a masquerade which is a taboo in yorubaland.Ile Ife could be the cradle of yoruba but ooni is not among the seven (alake,alaketu,oranmiyan-oyo founder,onisabe,onipopo,owa obokun oba benin) children of okanbi,the only son of Oduduwa the yoruba progenitor.He is just entitled to take care of the palace as the slave head after the sevens have established their own fortress in various kingdoms.Therefore,the sevens are superior to ooni in kingship issues while the latter can claim religious and not political head in yorubaland since ile ife is a sacred place.
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by AbewelaRoyal: 5:16pm On Jun 19, 2013
A point of correction sir: Oduduwa had many wives and a number of children NOT only one OKANBI, as you said. Who can tell us Okanbi's compound and by whom did he bore the "seven children"? Oni was the one who would decide how Oduduwa acted, step he took and how he must take those steps being his spiritual head and having met him in Ile Ife. He received Oduduwa as a guest and made him the King as the Oracle initially predicted. Ooni is derived from Oonile meaning "the Owner of the land" and "Oonirisa", that is "the One who directly sees or communicates with the gods" which now becomes the appellation of all Yoruba Obas: Alase, Ekeji Orisa. This is why Oduduwa did not hesitate to take orders from and heartily submitted the affairs of yorubas to him - Not only spiritual but political affairs since all these were guided by the oracle. Oduduwa neither made any mistake nor erred in handling over the sacred Crown, Are, to the Ooni to stand in his position as the King, when he was about to depart having seen that the Oracle's prediction, of a coming stranger to be made a king (which was common those days), had been fulfilled. Ooni is the FATHER of the Yorubas, supreme head of all Yoruba Kings and stands in the position of OR replaces ODUDUWA. When old Oyo empire was formed through war expeditions (As oranmiyan, the last born of Oduduwa, who formed the town, was a great worrior), all the Alafins (and, of course, other Yoruba Obas) were and MUST take order, authority and instruction from the Ooni (even despite the then settlement of the white colonialists in Oyo) - who was standing as their Father, both politically and spiritually and any Oba in Yoruba land MUST be crowned by Ooni "Arole Oduduwa": One who Stands in as Oduduwa. Ooni is the custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition. He represents the ‘Supreme Court’ that arbitrates or settles disputes between two or more conflicting Yoruba towns and he, sometimes, administered other towns through his children like Alaketu, Orangun, Oranmiyan and they all paid homage back to the Ooni .
It is, however, undoubted that Ile Ife, translated as the spreading of the earth with 'Ife' meaning ‘wide’ and the prefix 'Ile' meaning ‘home’ could refer to the creation of the whole world (Smith 1988). Harris (1997) describes Ile-Ife as ‘the place where things spread out, where people left’. Ile Ife is the mother city whence all Yoruba people hailed: this is apparent as each princedom were founded and situated few miles from the mother city (Okelola 2001). This myth provides the charter for the Yoruba people, providing them with a sense of unity through a common origin (Bascom 1969). Ile Ife in the Yoruba belief is the oldest of all the Yoruba towns given that it was from Ile Ife that all other towns were founded (Krapf-Askari, 1969). the town provides the fundamental and continuity of great deal of identity conceptualization for the modern Yoruba with it's role as a center from which Yoruba culture emanates and a place for validation of Yoruba authority (Harris 1997). There was a monarch called Ogane who reigned in ancient Ife whom modern scholars have identified as the Ooni of Ife (Pereira 1937, Krapf-Askari 1969, Harris, 1997). The Ooni or Onife is regarded as not only the spiritual but also the socio-political head of the Yoruba whose influence was not confined to his own kingdom but was also exercised over other Yoruba kingdoms through the sanctions of kinship and by ancient constitutional devices (Smith 1988). The Ooni is globally believed to be a sacred being because he sits on the throne of Oduduwa at Ile-Ife and now represents Oduduwa.
Yoruba Ronu ! Our history is one. Our Nation is one. Our heritage is one. Our origin (Ile-Ife )is one. Our Head and Leader (The Ooni of Ife )is one. The white men politics and political structure MUST not be allowed to tear us apart ! Even in England, no one dares dispute the authority of the Queen or sacrosanctity of her throne. How much more that of the Ooni which existence dates back to 410 B.C before the advent of Oduduwa (Adelogun 1999) before the coming of whom ninety three to ninety seven kings reigned in Ile Ife, (Okelola 2001).
Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by AbewelaRoyal: 6:50pm On Jun 19, 2013
There is no amount of political imposition that can change the already well established historical facts. No politics imposed Ile Ife over Oyo, it is the history. No Alafin has ever challenged the supremacy of the Ooni except the present Alafin (who could not even look the former Ooni, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, in the eye) who decides to vent his vengeance regarding deposition of Adeyemi II on Oba Sijuwade being an ally of Late Chief Awolowo. Oranmiyan was authorized, being the Chief warior – who was sent on several expeditions-, by the Ooni, to appoint the Are Ona kakanfo (The War General of Yoruba) and any legitimate appointment of Are Ona Kakanfo MUST receive the sanction and blessing of the Ooni, otherwise, the Hausas will say…Allah e kiyaye…! ORANMIYAN, THE FOUNDER OF OYO, IN ACKNOWLEDGING THE SACROSANCTITY OF ILE –IFE AND SUPREMACY OF THE OONI OF IFE OVER OTHER YORUBA OBAS, LATER RETURNED TO, BECAME THE 6TH OONI OF, DIED IN AND WAS ENSHRINED IN ILE-IFE. IF ALAFIN IS SUPERIOR, ORANMIYAN WOULD NOT HAVE ABDICATED THE THRONE AS THE 1ST ALAFIN AND RETURNED HOME TO BECOME THE 6TH OONI IN ILE-IFE AND PREFERRED TO DIE AND BE ENSHRINED IN ILE IFE.
Ile–Ife is regarded therefore as the metropolis of old Yoruba. It is suggested by various scholars including Johnson (1921); Lucas (1948); and Ajayi and Crowther (1972) that Ile-Ife is fabled as the spot where God created man, white and black and from whence they dispersed all over the earth. Fabunmi (1969) further argued that Ile Ife is further regarded and believed to be the cradle of the world. The history of Ile Ife though unwritten is based on oral traditions and referred to as the original home of all things, the place where the day dawns; the holy city, the home of divinities and mysterious spirits (Okelola, 2001). It is however believed that the tradition of the world and of the origin of the peoples and their state centers on Ile Ife, the source whence all the major rulers of the then southern Nigeria derive the sanctions of their kingship where gods, shrines and festivals forms the center of religion (Smith 1988). I think we should STOP dissipating efforts on what is not only natural but trying to alter impossibility. DISPUTING THE SUPERIORITY OF OONI OF IFE OVER ALL YORUBA OBAS INCLUDING ALAFIN OF OYO IS LIKE DISPUTING THAT THE SKY IS ABOVE OUR HEADS !
CHALLENGING EITHER THE SUPREMACY OF ILE-IFE OR THAT OF THE OONI OF IFE BY ANY YORUBA DOES NOT ONLY MAKE MOCKERY OF OUR GOLDEN HERITAGE OR INSULT OUR EMULABLE CULTURE AND TRADITION BUT ALSO AMOUNTS TO AN UNPARDONABLE SACRILEGE WHICH MAY NOT BE FORGIVEN BY ODUDUWA AND ORANMIYAN HIMSELF.
O’odua a gbe wa o !

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Re: Alaafin Of Oyo Or Sijuade Of Ife by Osumare1: 11:43am On Jun 20, 2013
Interesting ! Someone says Ooni was a palace slave But was later made the priest?! This would amount to placing logic on its head. Being a priest is akin to being in control of both political and spiritual affairs of a kingdom.Where in Yoruba history has a slave been made the priest who decides the fate of the community?? Funny enough, someone also says rich made the present Ooni superior to alafin and that Oranmiyan was Ooni before he transferred the capital state to Oyo?! Let us ask-
1. Who crowned the Alafin at a time he got the crown? Answer is the Ooni
2. Did Oranmiyan go back to Oyo after becoming the 6th Ooni of Ife? Answer is No.He came back to Ile- Ife the Capital
State of the Yorubas to become the 6th Ooni and died there.
3. Who is the father of Oranmiyan/ Orayan and who was the 1st Ooni? Answer is Oduduwa/Odua and oduduwa was the 1st Ooni
4. Who sent Oranmiyan on expedition errands? Answer is Oduduwa.
It is crystal clear that Ile- Ife, the Cradle of the Yorubas, is the Head of the Yorubas and Ooni of ife is the Father of the Yorubas. In Yoruba culture, being an elder denotes wisdom and authority. No son(albeit a bastard)can say his father is a fool. Therefore,there has not been any of the children of Oduduwa who challenged the Ooni, even those elders howmuch more the smallest? Ooni is the FATHER.

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