By Femi Alufa

History should be endowed because it is the source of discoveries which lead to the felicity of human life.

History and Traditions have been used for diverse purposes,one which is to establish a clear case of superiority by one community over another or a Kingdom over another.Nevertheless without any act of immodesty to distort Yoruba history or our existing tradition ,we learned from the beginning of time that Olofin Oduduwa was the founder and the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba race and regarded as the first Ooni of Ife.

Oranmiyan Odede who was the founder of the present Oba of Benin Dynasty through his son Eweka and first Alaafin of Oyo.Oranmiyan (Oranyan) later came back to Ile- Ife and reigned as Ooni of Ife and had the distinguished honour to be the legendary progenitor of the present dynasties of Oba of Benin and Alaafin of Oyo.Oranmiyan was the most adventurous Prince of Olofin Oduduwa and he later died at Ile- Ife where we have his obelisk (Opa Oranmiyan) till today.

Lets put aside the history of the great Benin Kingdom and Oyo Empire which is not the essence of this discourse.From the beginning of time,we learnt about the rise and fall of Kingdoms and Empires but we are a people of history.A knowledge of the Yoruba past that we gleaned from myths, legends, folktales and the likes point to Ile- Ife as the cradle of Yorubas.

Yorubas are not found only in the Southwest region of Nigeria (Lagos,Ogun, Oyo,Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States) but in Kwara and parts of Kogi,Edo, Delta States of Nigeria and across the countries of Benin Republic,Togo and in Sierra Leone,Gambia and across the Atlantic and in such places as Caribbean Islands of Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago and the Americas especially in Brazil.Every Yorubas regarded Ile- Ife as the spiritual, political and ancestral home.

From Ita Ajero quarters in Ile-Ife,The Olofin Oduduwa princes dispersed into different direction to found their Kingdoms including Ajero of Ijero Kingdom and other traditional monarchs of the primordial 16 Ekiti Kingdoms who are also scions of Olofin Oduduwa from Ile- Ife that founded their enduring dynasties t in Ekiti today and all traced their roots back to the source, Ile- Ife.

Fast forward to late 19th century,Ooni Adelekan Olubuse I reigned as the 46th Ooni of Ife from 1894 to 1910.He was nicknamed Eriogun,Akitikori,Ebitikimopiri.He was a scion of Ooni Ogboru and paternal grandfather of the 50th Ooni Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II who reigned from 1980-2015.Ooni Adelekan Olubuse I was the first Ooni of Ife to reign in Ile-Ife after the end of Kiriji EkitiParapo internecine war years when he succeeded Ooni Derin Ologbenla.One thing that was very important during the reigns of Ooni Olubuse I apart from the evacuation of Modakeke was his invitation to Lagos by Sir William Mac Gregor , the British colonial Governor of Lagos on February 28,1903 as the Supreme Head of Yoruba Nation to ascertain and clarify the claims of Elepe of Epe and Akarigbo of Remo on the tussle of who had authority to wear the crown.The recognition of Ooni of Ife by the British colonial administration on this tussle is a genuine leadership and recognition of Ooni of Ife over Yoruba nation in our modern history which superimposed the political headship of an ancient Kingdom or a mere circumstances of history.Ooni Adelekan Olubuse I also used the occasion of February 28th 1903 to authoritatively listed the list of Traditional Rulers (Obas) who are entitled to wear crowns in Yoruba land 

 *THE LIST OF 21 OBAS WHO ARE ENTITLED TO WEAR CROWNS IN* *YORUBALAND BY OONI OF IFE,OBA ADELEKAN OLUBUSE I IN 1903.* 

The Government Gazette of Saturday,28th February,1903 published the List of 21 Kingdoms that derived their Crowns directly from Ife.The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adelekan OLUBUSE I speaking before the Central Native Council,Lagos on February 24,1903 and give evidence in the case of Akarigbo of Remo and Elepe of Epe - Sagamu.The Authority of Ooni of Ife is recognised as the Arole Oduduwa and the father of Yoruba Nation as the best traditional authority on this point.The Gazette listed 21 Obas (not in order of seniority) that had obtained their Crowns directly from Ile-Ife ( the cradle of the Yorubas):

1.The Alake of Abeokuta 

2.The Alafin of Oyo 

3. The Ajero of Ijero 

4.The Osemawe of Ondo 

5.The Orangun of Ila 

6.The Alaaye of Effon

7.The Olosi of Osi

8.The Alaketu of Ketu

9.The Elekole of Ikole 

10.The Ewi of Ado 

11.The Olowu of Owu (Abeokuta)

12.The Oba of Ado (Benin)

13.The Alara of Ara 

14.The Awujale of Ode (Ijebu)

15.The Owa of Ilesha 

16.The Olojudo of Ido 

17.The Oore of Otun 

18.The Akarigbo of Remo 

19.The Olowo of Owo 

20.The Oloko of Oko (Abeokuta)

21.The Alagura of Agura

(N.B: The Colonial Governor of Lagos, Sir Williams MacGregor had this to say about to the pre-eminent position of the Ooni of Ife:" The Oni of Ife is very proud of the fact that his family is the aboriginal ruling and noble house of all Yoruba.His claim to this high position is practically admitted by the other Chiefs"(Despatch 140 date May 21st,1901 contained in Despatch Nos 93-169 covering 26th March,28th June,1901 National Archives).

Since Democracy finds its origin in Yoruba system of government from Ita Ijero quarters in Ile-Ife at the instance of Ajero ki Osa, the fourth direct Prince of Olofin Oduduwa,all the Kingdoms of Ekiti and other sub groups of Yorubas in Ijebu ,Ijesa, Igbomina,Akoko, Owo and other parts of Yorubaland who are true sons of Olofin Oduduwa regarded Ile- Ife as their cradle and accepted the suzerainty of Ooni of Ife as their real head and as Arole Oduduwa.Olofin Oduduwa sent one of his sons called Oranmiyan (Oronmiyan) to go and rule Benin Kingdom after the eccplise of the Ogiso Dynasty.Oranmiyan (Oranyan) had also established a strong and powerful Oyo Empire that lasted as Oyo Atiba till today.

In a nutshell, Oranmiyan -Eweka royal lineage has since continued till today in Benin and Oranyan - Alaafin Atiba continued in Agodoyo (Oyo Atiba) till today.Ile -Ife remains the cradle of all Yoruba people and a host of deities.The Ooni of Ife is not only the heir of Olofin Oduduwa (Arole Oduduwa) but himself a deity (Oonirisa)which make him one of the 401 deities altogether in Ile-Ife.

The debate on who is the supreme head of Yorubas preceded Nigeria nation and even the Supreme Court of Nigeria.Those who choose to oppose to the supremacy of Ooni of Ife thesis are just like a tree that forget its root and an attempt to detract from cultural and ancestral affinity and rendering divisive acrimony to our development as a Lukumi-Yoruba race.

Our social history must be put to order and give us a semblance of our true identity and history.