Ife not origin of Yoruba race – Oluwo of Iwo

The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has challenged the widely held belief that Ile-Ife is the cradle of the Yoruba race.

Speaking in a video shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday, the monarch dismissed claims that Yoruba culture originated from Ife.

He argued that people were already living in the ancient town before Oduduwa conquered it and became its ruler.

Flanked by his chiefs during a chieftaincy conferment ceremony, the Oluwo said the language originally spoken in Ife was not Yoruba and stressed that the culture practiced there differs from that of the wider Yoruba people.

“Ife is not the origin of the Yoruba race. Those people don’t speak our language. Their language is different. They refer to God as Eledumare, and there is nothing like Eledumare in Yoruba language. What we have is Olodumare. Ile-Ife has no Yoruba culture,” he declared.

According to him, Iwo holds the true historical account of the Yoruba people. “I am the Arole Olodumare because I am here to tell you the true history. Iwo is where you can get the real history that was not even documented,” he added.

The Oluwo urged his subjects to preserve his words, noting that he was unafraid of death and determined to correct historical misconceptions about Yoruba origins.

This is not the first controversy surrounding Yoruba heritage. Recently, a disagreement erupted between the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, over the conferment of the “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” title on Ibadan businessman Chief Dotun Sanusi.