BRIEF HISTORY OF ADO-ODO AND LIST OF HER OBAS

BRIEF HISTORY OF ADO-ODO AND LIST OF HER OBAS
 
Ado-Odo is the traditional seat of the ancient Awori Kingdoms. Ado is renowned as an ancient fortress of age-long traditional practices of Ifa – the Yoruba deity of wisdom and the Oduduwa (OOdua) Temple. Among the Yorubas, Oodua is regarded as the mother of all deities in the world. All of these and more made Ado to stand out as an unconquered sanctuary of the Western Yoruba district during the fratricidal wars in Yoruba land, particularly in the nineteenth century until the advent of the Europeans.
 
Ado Kingdom as presently constituted is inhabited by Aworis and Yewas of Ishaga, Imasayi, Ibooro, Ketu, Eguns (Ogu), Oyos, Ijebus, Egbas and non-Yoruba elements particularly the Hausa, Igbo, Ijaw and others. Nobody could say precisely when the kingdom was founded. Ado probably evolved from the events which historians dated around eleventh century when the instinct for survival, prestige and adventure forced people out of Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yorubas, to spread in all directions in search of new lands. Prominent among the emigrants from Ife Oodaye and Ife Ooye who founded Ado were Onitako the acclaimed first founder, Asode Onirunmi Ekun Jagude with Ogun Apo deity, Olofin Idada, the forebear of Oba Adegba Esibi, Asawo Owun Adaludo, Alawe, Aasejo, and Alamuwa also known as Oba Ora.
 
Reinforcing this connection with Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yorubas is the exixtence of Oduduwa temple in Ilaje-Ado. Oduduwa has remained the paramount deity in Ado, and like Ife, the communal festival is held annually in its honour, with Alaje or Iya Agbe as the custodian. The use of “Ijinle Ohun Ife” is enriched in the season of the annual festival by the traditional devotees. The title of the monarch is Olofin Adimula, Oba of Ado.
 
In 1863, Oba Adebami Agbojojoye signed a Treaty annexing Ado Kingdom to the British Empire. In the Berlin Conference of 1884 to 1885, Ado Kingdom was a major issue during the scramble and partition of Africa between the British, Germans, Italians, and the French.
 
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Way back in 1960s, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo led Action Group administration in the Western Region acquired a very large expanse of land in Ado-Odo. Part of this was used to establish farm settlement with settlers still on ground. Being an agrarian and riverine community, the main economic activities of Ado are farming and trading. Commercial farming is pronounced in the community through co-operative societies and private investors who are into cocoa and palm tree plantations as well as other tree crops. Fishery, livestock and animal husbandry are also in practice.

INFRASTRUCTURES

Ado-Odo is linked with 3 major roads. Ilaro/Ado-Odo Road, Otta/Alapoti/Igbesa/Ado-Odo Road and Badagry/Ikoga/Ado-Odo Road. Ado-Odo has its main market as Oba Agunloye Market, and Ado-Odo and other night markets located within the community.

There are five public secondary schools, the sixth is a Model College, which is to now be a police college. There are 41 public, and many private primary and secondary schools as well as maternity centres (primary health centres) in Ado-Odo.

FESTIVALS

The notable festivals in Ado-Odo are connected with either the traditional religion as well as Christianity and Islam. The ancestral Oduduwa Festival called “Odun Alaje” in Ado involves the parade of two bulls round the town, rope game by able bodied men and using soft cane (‘Igbo’) to whip anyone freely. Raiding of stray fowls and dogs are synonymous with traditional cleansing activities during this festival, though the owners would have been forewarned through the town crier or Itepa Ilus. Igbi-Ora set of drums and Gbedu drums are used for the entertainment throughout the festival. The traditional devotees are led by the Oba Ora and other chiefs notably Oluwo, Olomu-Ajiga and women chieftains: Alaje and Aragba, to entertain spectators with dance steps on special days.

KINGMAKERS

Following the approved Chieftaincy Declaration according to the Western Regional Government official gazette in the 1950s, the kingmakers and members of Oba-in-Council for Ado-Odo are the following:

1.      Chief Osolo of Ado
2.      Chief Bajomu of Ado
3.      Chief Aro of Ado
4.      Chief Ira of Ado
5.      Chief Oga-Ilu Odo-Ijana, Ado (Head of Oga Ilus)
6.      Chief Oga-Ilu Oke-Osi, Ado
7.      Chief Oga-Ilu Oke-Ijana, Ado
8.      Chief Oga-Ilu Odo-Osi, Ado

OLOFIN (OBA) OF ADO RULING HOUSES

1.      Idose
2.      Idobarun
3.      Okewaye
4.      Igboro

LIST OF PAST AND PRESENT OBA OF ADO KINGDOM (OLOFIN ADIMULA OF ADO-ODO)

1.      Oba Adegba Esibi (Oloja - Female)
2.      Oba Edumeri Abe
3.      Oba Edukanle
4.      Oba Oreje
5.      Oba Olofin Eri
6.      Oba Atepojoye
7.      Oba Olofin Aragbandu
8.      Oba Odunla Liwaye (Female)
9.      Oba Elumu Liwaye
10.  Oba Serere Gbele Kekere Jojolo
11.  Oba Obanla
12.  Oba Etigbejibojoye
13.  Oba Olimegan
14.  Oba Asoesi Lipeti
15.  Oba Bewaji Amororo lagbo
16.  Oba Osoja Abosa joye c. 1379-1402
17.  Oba Adetogu Atuyangba c. 1403-1430
18.  Oba Adeluyi Oyigudujoye c. 1432-1461
19.  Oba Asade Atepawoga c.1461. He died at Ipebi
20.  Oba Agbogunjoye c. 1462-1493
21.  Oba Iroke c.1495-1530
22.  Oba Afogbinjoye c.1531-1549
23.  Oba Ero Gbewara c.1550-1584
24.  Oba Osangandewu (Osan Egan Diyewu) c.1585-1610
25.  Oba Asunsunjoye c.1611-1636
26.  Oba Aponlese c.1637-1658
27.  Oba Aregiopejoye c.1658-1660
28.  Oba Ipokin c.1660-1679
29.  Oba Megbowoye c.1680-1731
30.  Oba Ododo c.1733-1770
31.  Oba Emiro (Emuro) c.1771-1811
32.  Oba Aike 1 (Akesile) c.1812-1857
33.  Oba Adebami Dokunmu (Agbojojoye) c.1858-1870
34.  Oba Adeto Erigberejoye c.1871-1879
35.  Oba Asade Awope (Otenibotemole) c.1879-1913
36.  Oba Adeteru Iso (Arolagbade) 1913-1915
37.  Oba Alesinloye Bankole(Amilujigijoye) 1915-1925 – deposed
38.  Oba Oni Arebi 1925-1932
39.  Oba Adeteru Iso reinstatement 1932-1952
40.  Oba Jacob Ogabi Akapo (Agunloye) 1953-1989
41.  Period of interregnum 1989 - 2003. Ex - Oba Munir Akinola - Odejide (Aragbandu) 2003-2009 not recognized by the Ogun State government. He died in 2017
42.  Oba Abdullateef Adeniran Akanni (Ojikutujoye) May 2nd, 2009 to January 7, 2022

43. Oba Idris Olusola Adebowale Lamidi-Osolo (Otenibotemole II) - Elected on February 9, 2024 and awaiting official government installation.