Alake’s kinsman lambasts Awujale

…Ijebus are foreigners in Yorubaland

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NIGERIA: A PRINCE from the Laarun Royal Family in Egbaland, Rufus Adebowale, on Friday lambasted the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, for classifying Alake stool as junior to his.

Adebowale, who claimed to be a Yoruba historian, said that Oba Adetona lacked the authority to speak on the classification of obaship in Yorubaland because he is not a descendant of Oduduwa.

According to the Prince from Okukenu dynasty in Abeokuta, available facts revealed that the Ijebus who are from the present day Chad and Central African Republic cannot lay claim to be descendants of Oduduwa.

The 72-year-old Adebowale, in an interview with reporters in Abeokuta on Friday, said further that Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, also distorted history in his classification that Alaafin is next to Ooni of Ife.

He stressed that Awujale’s claim that Alake’s stool was junior to him was insulting and a distortion of history.

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 Awujale.”

“In the first instance, Awujale shouldn’t have dabbled into the issue‎ of Obas in Yorubaland because he is not of Oduduwa origin,” he said, adding: “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.”
He further stated: “What Awujale said was very insulting and 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; both 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.”
He explained that the foremost Oba in Yoruba ranking is the Ooni of Ife, adding that Alake is the third behind Oba of Benin.
Adebowale said: “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 even before they were born.  There’s part of‎ history 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 are at Ake palace here where we shine them and we worship Omonide every year.”
According to him, the other traditional rulers in Yorubaland, including the Alafin of Oyo, have never contended the superiority of Alake’s stool.

“So all others, they do not contend superiority with Alake; Orangun Ila, Owa Obokun, and two who are no longer in Yoruba kingdom‎ now, one is Alaketu, so you can see now that to say Alaafin is next to Ooni is great distortion of history,” 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,” he added.
“Both Awujale and Alake lacked history.  If Alake is Alake of Ake, what‎ concerns Awujale who is a foreigner? We are grandchildren of Oduduwa,” Adebowale said.