Progenitor of Yoruba Race

The controversy surrounding the origin of Oduduwa has, over time become a major challenge and mystery that not only historians and anthropologist have tried to unravel but also followers, students and even the descendants of this great progenitor of the Yoruba race have seen searching for the truth vis-à-vis his origin, life and time.

This piece is painstakingly aimed at demystifying the controversy behind Oduduwa’s origin and debunk some of the stories written by some possible to explain the nitty-gritty of Oduduwa’s origin based strictly on oral tradition.

Samuel Johnson’s account that the Yorubas originated form Lamurudu and that he, Lamurudu was the father of Oduduwa is mendacious and historically incorrect, thus has to be debunked.

Other historians have given account that Oduduwas came form the quench tribe of Mecca and settle in Ile-Ife where he established the first Yoruba political kingdom. Given the fact and genuine oral history at our disposal, Oduduwa never came from Mecca hence; the question now is who is Oduduwa?

Oduduwa means Odu t’o da iwa i.e how to behave. Oduduwa was a deity cum spirit who was never given birth to by any human being. Lamurudu, it should be underscored, was never Oduduwa’s father. The creation of Ife began with Olodumare who sent Obatala and Oduduwa to the world for an important purpose. While they were going, Obatala came across the group of people who were drinking palmwine. He decided to join them and abandon the task assigned him and Oduduwa by Olodumare. On seeing this, Olodumare instructed Ododuwa to collect the cockerel on Obatala’s shoulder and to proceed to Ife to accomplish the assignment. It was however, Oduduwa who completed the job which was the fact that he carried a handful of earth, a cockerel and a palmnut. He then scattered the earth over the water and the cockerel scratches it to become the land. The word Ife was derieved from the Yoruba adjective ‘Fe’ meaning to be wide.

The duo later went back to heaven and Olodumare queried Obatala for getting drunk and sleeping off. Meanwhile, Olodumare praised Oduduwa for a job well done and promised to make him the king of Ife. Prior to this time, Orunmila had informed the people of Ife that a king was coming and would be recognized by the Aare (the crown) he would be wearing. Also before this time, Obatala had come to Ife with other deities and boasted that he would become the king of Ife. But that turned out to be a mirage. Eventually, when Oduduwa was descending with a chain form heaven with the Aare, the people of Ife recognized him immediately.

On getting to the world this time around, Orunmila was the first to sight them and he immediately recognized Oduduwa as the king of Ife, a place which had been lacking a well structure political leadership. It is significant to know that it was that Aare worn by Oduduwa during his second coming that is being worn by Yoruba Oba’s today.

It was established that when Oduduwa arrived ancient Ife, he and his group conquered the component communities and eventually evolved the palace structure with an effective centralized power and dynasty. Going by reliable record, Oduduwa is the progenitor of Yoruba race having been named the first Ooni of Ife.He also referred to as the Olofin Adimula.

Oral history tells us that Oduduwa had a son known as Okanbi. Okanbi had seven children who came to be known as Onisabe of Sabe, Onipopo of Popo, Olowu of Owu, the Orangun of Ila, Oba of Benin and the Alaketu ketu. it should be noted here that Oranmiyan was the grand son of Oduduwa and not one of Oduduwa’s sons as claimed by some historians.

At this point, it should be recalled the statement credited to the Oba of Benin sometimes ago that Oduduwa originated from Benin. According to him, Oduduwa known as Elkalederan, was a Benin chief who went to Ife some centuries back to establish kingdom there. This is historically spurious and it should therefore be critically condemned and debunked. What is true, however, according to reliable oral tradition is that there was turbulence in the Ancient Benin City states during the Ogiso period. Oranmiyan, the grand son of Oduduwa was called upon by the Benin chief to come and restored peace and orderliness.

During his stay, he married a Benin princess who gave birth to a boy called Eweka. When Eweka was born, he was disabled as he could not speak. The name Eweka emanated when Eweka was playing a game and in the process of trying to express his dominance over his opponent, he said o-w-o-mi-ka meaning I could handle it. It was from that stammering expression that the name Eweka was derived.

It is important to know that Eweka the some of Oranmiyan was the one who later established the Eweka dynasty in Benin. It is therefore lucid that the origin of Oduduwa would not have been likned to Benin because it was Oduduwa’s grand son who prepared the ground for the establishement of the first well organized political dynasty in Benin land.

On his itinery to Mecca, it is true that Oduduwa went to Mecca on a visit just as a sojourned to Israel on a visit but he was never form that apart of the world as postulated by some historians. After his visits to these places, he returned to Ife to continue the administration of his kingdom.

It is also pertinent to know that Oduduwa, the great Progenitor of the Yoruba race, never died. He was said to have angrily entered the earth (ground) with the chain he had used to descend from heaven initially. To this end, Oduduwa still lives like any other deity or spirit but can not be seen by ordinary humans except by individuals who have supernatural powers to see and communicate with him in the spiritual realm.

It is, at this juncture, significant to use this medium to call on all south west governors to try and encourage the effort at changing the age-long misconceptions and distorted history about the origin and personality of Oduduwa. Most of the histories written by the historians like Samuel Johnson and Professor Akinjogbe about Oduduwa are incorrect and hence, should be debunked totally. We are writing based on oral tradition and evidence which the most reliable source African historiography. And these facts and evidence can still be found in Ile-Ife, the ancestral home of all Yoruba people, even till present time. Research also has it that Oduduwa was a representative of Olodumare on earth. It has also ben established that of all beloved spirit of Olodumare, Oduduwa was one of them just as he never disobeyed Olodumare in the spiritual realm.

In all, it is important to implore our political leaders to stop the battered history about the origin of Oduduwa which has been in circulation for centuries. Today, primary, secondary and even university students have been misled about the authentic story of Oduduwa’s origin. We believe this is to belittle the personality of Oduduwa which is very sad and uncalled for. For those who are interested in investigating the true history of Oduduwa’s origin should visit the Ooni of Ife at his palace in Ile-Ife. Over there, there are several evidences to justify what we have documented here including the Oodua shrine in Ile-Ife.

Written: Olokun Festival Foundation’s Research Unit Source – Ooni of Ife, Ile-Ife.

Otunba Dr. Gani Adams
Chief Promoter, Olokun Festival Foundation.
National Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC)
Convener of Oodua Progressive Union Worldwide (OPU)