ADO-ODO HISTORY AND CULTURE

HISTORY OF ADO-ODO IN BRIEF Ado-Odo is the metropolitan headquarters of the ancient kingdom of Ado renowned as the ancient fortress of age-long traditional practices of Ifa (Ado n'ile Ifa), the Oduduwa/Obatala temple with a theocratic set - up. Oodu'a is regarded as the mother of all deities in the world. All of these made Ado an inviolate territory in Western Yoruba land the same status accorded Ile-Ife as "father figure" in Yoruba land. Unlike the other kingdoms which had a taste of bitter pill in the fratricidal wars that ravaged the entire Yoruba land in the nineteenth century, Ado stands out as an unconquered sanctuary city-state throughout the period till date. A documented legend concerning the origin of Ado was the account of A. B. Ellis (1894, 1970) that "Oduduwa was once walking alone in the forest when she met a hunter, who was so handsome that the ardent temperament of the goddess at once took fire. The advances which she made to him, were favourably ...

EREKITI AND ADO KINGDOMS, AWORILAND: AN X RAY OF TWO BEADED OLOFIN CROWNS Erekiti is an ancient Yoruba enclave of Awori pedigree rooted in Ado Ife, popularly called Addo by the British in the past and renowned as Ado-Odo today. The earliest founders of Ado Kingdom include the legendary figures: Onitako, Onirunmi Ekun Jagude, Alamuwa, Ojona (Bajomu), Iya Agbe Odua, Omarun, Olomu and many other titular heads. Ado Kingdom as stated in archival documents strongly reveal that the Ados were foremost Awori nationality, who left ancient Ile Ife around 1050AD with stopover in various places including precinct of present Ondo state. ONITAKO led the group which included an Ife Prince called Omo Olofin, Olu Ile Idada, who according to tradition passed on during migration and his child, Princess Adegba Esibi, popularised as Oloja had the upper hand to her father's beaded crown and sword as the first Oba of Ado (Olofin Omo Olu Ile Idada, Omo Alade Ile Ife). The reign of Oba Adegba Esibi was a co...

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, th...

 REJOINDER The attention of Onipokia-in-Council has been drawn to a publication entitled "Onipokia Renews Bid for Paramount Status in Yewa Traditional Council vis a vis The Olofin of Ado and Erikiti Kingdoms Nexus" by one Mr. Kabir Olawale Alagbe, published in ado-odo-history-blogspot.com, on September 29, 2020. In the said article, Mr. Alagbe had based his assumption on the historical facts contained in a write-up titled “SIGNIFICANCE OF IPOKIA IN EGBADO (YEWA DIVISION)” published in Ogun State’s Magazine – “SPECIAL REPORT ON TOURISM POTENTIALS OF OGUN STATE: NIGERIA HERITAGE” Vol. 7 No. 3, 2020, dedicated to the Coronation Ceremony of the 46th Onipokia of Ipokia Kingdom. The write-up was never intended to renew Onipokia's bid for Paramountcy as claimed by Mr. Alagbe, but to highlight and promote Ipokia's rich history and heritage as was done in the series of pamphlets published during the previous Ipokia events.   Undeniably, there are elements of facts in his artic...

 ONIPOKIA RENEWS BID FOR   PARAMOUNT STATUS IN YEWA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL VIS A VIS  THE OLOFIN OF ADO AND ERIKITI  KINGDOMS NEXUS. This write up is a multi disciplinary perspective using history, social sciences and law to cross cultural studies on  Awori-Anago Kingdoms of Ado and Ipokia in Ogun State. The take off point is fall out from  the business mogul recently installed as the Onipokia of Ipokia Kingdom, HRM Oba Isa Olaniyan .And his kinsmen in the nerve centre of Anagos settlement in the Yewa-Awori flank of  Ogun West area of Ogun State renewing  the old agitation  to be recognised by the Ogun State Government as a Paramount Ruler in the State. It would be recalled that the immediate past Onipokia of blessed memory, HRM Oba Raufu  Adeole, fiercely contested to be the paramount ruler of Yewaland wjhich he lost. But was persuaded by leading politicians and retired military cum bureaucrats  to support the  Yewa Agenda t...

 OBSERVATION  ON THE LATEST WRITE UP BY CHIEF ALHAJI LATEEF   SAKA , THE ASOJU OLOTA OF UNVERSE ( DIASPORA.) TITLED " THE BIRTH ERA OF UNITY AMONG OUR ROYAL FATHERS IN OGUN STATE.." What a  beautiful write up !! To consolidate the laudable peace initiative and /or consensus approach in wielding fractured interests together . It's also important that we use our biros to strengthen the processes  as opposed to exacerbating subtle simmering conflicts which almost led us to precipe in recent times If others aren't talking ,we in Ado Kingdom as equal partner in the Awori Agenda gets our psyche injured ..If I may ask this pertinent question,Chief, ,how did  you arrive at the position describing Ota and Iseri Olofin as the two most ancient Awori Kingdoms ? In as much that I won't join issues with you as to your liberty to say or write within the ambit of law , it's equally important that there are other ancient Awori  enclaves not only in Ogun but also i...

 List of Obas of Ado Kingdom (Olofin 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 (Female) 9.Oba Elumu liwaye 10.Oba Serere gbele kekere jojolo 11.Oba Obanla 12.Oba Etigbeji bo joye 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 Agbogun joye 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 Asunsun joye c.1611-1636 26 Oba Aponlese c.1637-1658 27.Oba Aregi ope joye 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 (Agbojo joye) c.1858-1870 34.Oba A...