Controversy as Oluwo declares Oduduwa originated outside Ile-Ife

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has sparked fresh controversy by declaring that Oduduwa, revered as the progenitor of the Yoruba race, migrated to Ile-Ife and was not a native of the town.

In a video circulating on social media, the monarch, who spoke in Yoruba, argued that the true origin of Oduduwa was from a place where “pure Yoruba is spoken,” insisting that history had been deliberately misrepresented over time.

“Oduduwa is not a native of Ife; all Yorubas know this, unless one chooses to lie. You cannot find any Oduduwa ruling house in Ife—should there not be one if he truly originated from there?” Oba Akanbi queried.

He stressed that Oduduwa’s name and titles were not rooted in the Ife dialect, adding that the traditional titles in Ile-Ife differ significantly from those of the broader Yoruba heritage.

According to him, “If I fail to say it, God will punish me; if I lie, God will bring suffering upon me. I must proclaim the truth to all Yoruba people.”