The Ooni of Ife and Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, on Sunday formally presented a beaded crown to the newly installed Elerin of Erin-Ile, Oba Jimoh Adebowale Adesoye Adetona I.
The coronation ceremony, described as historic for the ancient Kwara community, reaffirmed Erin-Ile’s longstanding ancestral connection to Ile-Ife and the House of Oduduwa.
Ooni Ogunwusi arrived at the Babatunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin, from Abuja in the afternoon and proceeded directly to Erin-Ile, where he was received by the new monarch, his queen, members of the royal family, and several traditional rulers from Osun, Ekiti, Kogi, and Kwara states. The delegation of monarchs was led by the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Oyetunji.
While placing the beaded crown on Oba Adesoye, the Ooni commended the people of Erin-Ile for preserving their cultural identity and maintaining their ancestral ties to Ile-Ife despite being located outside the South-West geopolitical zone.
“The people of Erin-Ile have consistently upheld the legacy handed down by their forefathers who migrated from Ile-Ife centuries ago.
“You remain one of the few communities outside the South-West that still demonstrate, with pride, your full-blooded Oduduwa heritage. Your loyalty to your root is exemplary, and we are proud of you,” Ooni Ogunwusi said.
The Ooni noted that Erin-Ile’s traditions, festivals, and oral history align strongly with those of Ile-Ife, particularly their descent from Ooni Obalufon Alayemore through Prince Odumasa, the town’s founder believed to have settled in the area around 1225 AD.
In his acceptance speech, Oba Adesoye expressed profound gratitude to the Ooni for honoring Erin-Ile with the beaded crown and for his continuous efforts to unify Oduduwa descendants across Nigeria and the diaspora.
“We are blessed to have Your Majesty as our overall father in Yorubaland. You have never forgotten the people of Erin-Ile, and we assure you of our unflinching loyalty. It is significant and symbolic that you, as the custodian of beaded crowns in Yorubaland, are the one presenting this crown. That is our heritage, and that is the tradition we will continue to uphold,” the new Elerin said.
Erin-Ile, a historic Yoruba settlement in present-day Kwara State, traces its lineage to the royal dynasty of Ife through Prince Odumosa Apaayan, grandson of Ooni Obalufon Ogbogbodirin (Obalufon I). The ancient city continues to celebrate its roots through the annual Obalufon Festival, reinforcing its cultural and historical ties to Ile-Ife.
Ooni Ogunwusi, who has been at the forefront of restoring and reaffirming Oduduwa heritage across Yoruba-speaking communities within and outside the South-West, has in recent years presented similar beaded crowns to monarchs of Yoruba origin in Kwara.