Akure Kingdom
Encyclopedia
The Akure Kingdom is a traditional state with headquarters in Akure
, Ondo State
, Nigeria
. It is the successor to an ancient Yoruba
city state. The ruler bears the title "Deji of Akure".
Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II
was chosen as the traditional ruler
of the Akure Kingdom on 13 August 2010.
State governor Olusegun Mimiko
presented him with the staff of office.
The area has long been populated.
Skeletons of homo sapiens dating to the tenth millennium BC have been found in a burial site at Iwo Eleru near to Akure.
Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic
period, have been discovered on the outskirts of Akure at Igbara-Oke, declared a national monument on 13 March 1963.
, the royal progenitor of the Yoruba tribe. The Prince left Ile-Ife, his grandfather's kingdom, in search of a place to settle after passing a strict test administered by Oduduwa himself. This test wherein he was kept in solitude for about nine (9) days is still annually commemorated in Akure today by the reigning king of the town during a ceremony known as 'Oba wo ilesunta'. At the point where the prince and his party arrived at the exact location of the modern city, the string holding the heavy royal beads on his neck is said to have snapped, thus causing the people to exclaim "Àkún rę" (or The beads have snapped), this later becoming the name of the settlement they established on the site. Over time, the phrase was wittled down through its constant use to become Akure.
Omoremi is said to have hunted with his entourage while on his way from Ile Ife. He arrived in Akure and was proclaimed the Person who hunted and arrived with royalty, i.e., Asodeboyede. Originally, the kings of Akure that were born of him were referred to as Ajapada. The title Deji of Akure started with Oba Arakale, whose father took the daughter of Oba Atakumosa, the Owa of Ijeshaland as one of his wives while the latter was on his way to Benin. By the time Oba Atakumosa was returning to Ilesha from the pilgrimage, his daughter (Owawejokun) had given birth to a son. While other dignitaries gave the little baby common gifts, Oba Atakumosa was said to have presented his grandson with a small diadem
. Owafadeji i.e., Owa gave him a diadem or royal crown became the nickname of the young boy, and by the time he reached his adulthood it had become his de facto name. When Owafa'Deji became Oba, the appellation assumed a titular importance and because of his prominence as an Oba, subsequent Obas or kings assumed the title while the advent of the modern era has formally made Deji the official title of the Obas of Akure. However, the original title of Ajapada has remained a significant part of the Deji's ceremonial style till the present day.
During its long history, the city-state of Akure was at times independent, at times subject to other states.
There is a sizable population of Bini origin. Akure was the main base for Benin's
trade in the area, and at times seems to have been considered within the western frontier of Benin.
The Benin historian Egharevba refers to suppression of resistance by "rebellious Akure" during the reign of Oba Ewuare
of Benin (1440–1473), although the king was allowed to remain as nominal ruler. Another rebellion is recorded a century later during the reign of Oba Ehengbuda of Benin.
Akure had regained independence by the early 19th century, but around 1818 it was recaptured by Benin forces and the Deji was executed.
After 1854, Akure and other Ekiti towns came under the rule of Ibadan
, which lasted until a rebellion in 1876 followed by a prolonged war between the Yoruba states.
Towards the end of the 19th century the British based on their Lagos Colony
had established a protectorate over the area, although they ruled through "native" administrations.
The British sought to combine the Ekiti kingdoms of the region into a single administrative unit, against resistance by the Ekiti people who preferred local autonomy.
In 1899 Ekiti and Ilesha formed the northeastern division of the protectorate. In 1915, Ekiti, Owo and Ondo were combined to form the Ondo Province with headquarters at Akure.
Ondo Province later became part of Western State. In 1976 the old Ondo State
was formed, and in 1996 Ekiti State
was split off from the modern Ondo State, which has Akure as its capital.
The death in October 1999 of Oba Ataiyese Adebobajo Adesida IV led to a prolonged dispute over the succession, eventually resolved with the appointment of Oba Oluwadamilare Adesina in 2005.
Oba Oluwadamilare was dethroned on 10 June 2010 for sacrilegious misdeeds (wife beating) and Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II
was chosen as the new Deji of Akure on 13 August 2010.
). It is for this reason that every descendant of the Akure clan has been addressed by outsiders as Omo Ekun during the recitation of his or her praise poetry
or, alternatively, as 'Omo Akure Oloyemekun', since Omoremi was said to have stayed for a while at Igbo Ooye before coming to the Akure region.
There are several Ruling and Royal houses of Akure, including the Osupa Ruling House which includes the Odudun Royal House and the Ojijigogun Ruling House which includes the Faturoti, Adesida and Arosoye royal houses.
After the death or removal of an Oba, a princess
regent
is appointed, who is expected to oversee the day-to-day administration of the kingdom while the kingmaker
s select the next Oba from one of the royal houses.
Although the Oba has relocated to a more modern palace, the old building from 1150 AD is still used for all ceremonies.
The place has over 15 courtyards, with each having its unique purpose. Ua nla, Ua Ibura, Ua jemifohun, Ua Ikomo are some of the names of the courtyards.
For example, in the Ua ubura courtyard, oaths are taken, and the ua Ikomo is used for naming ceremonies.
There are two other autonomous communities with their separate obas and traditions within the modern Akure kingdom. The most prominent is Isikan while the second of these is Isolo. The Oba of Isikan is known as Iralepo while the Oba of Isolo is known as the Osolo of Isolo. In the olden days, these were separate towns that were brought together as a result of wars. Nearby towns include Ilara, Igbaraoke, Iju, Itaogbolu, Idanre, Owo, Ikere and Ondo.
Akure
Akure is a city in the southwestern region of Nigeria, and is the largest city and capital of Ondo State. The city has a population of approximately 387,087...
, Ondo State
Ondo State
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.-Government and society:...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. It is the successor to an ancient Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
city state. The ruler bears the title "Deji of Akure".
Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II
Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II
Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II was chosen as the traditional ruler, or Deji, of the Akure Kingdom, based in the city of Akure in Ondo State, Nigeria on 13 August 2010.State governor Olusegun Mimiko presented him with the staff of office....
was chosen as the traditional ruler
Nigerian traditional rulers
Nigerian traditional rulers often derive their titles from the rulers of independent states or communities that existed before the formation of modern Nigeria...
of the Akure Kingdom on 13 August 2010.
State governor Olusegun Mimiko
Olusegun Mimiko
Olusegun Mimiko is the current governor of Ondo State, Nigeria. He was born on 3 October 1954, to Pa and Mrs. Atiku Bamidele Mimiko of Ondo, Ondo State. His great, great grandfather was the High Chief Adaja Gbegbaje of Ondo. His great grandfather, Chief Akinmeji, was the distinguished Ruwase of...
presented him with the staff of office.
Location
Akure is located in southwestern Nigeria. The climate is hot and humid, influenced by rain-bearing southwest monsoon winds from the ocean and dry northwest winds from the Sahara Desert. The rainy season lasts from April to October, with rainfall of about 1524mm per year. Temperatures vary from 28oC to 31oC with mean annual relative humidity of about 80%.The area has long been populated.
Skeletons of homo sapiens dating to the tenth millennium BC have been found in a burial site at Iwo Eleru near to Akure.
Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period, have been discovered on the outskirts of Akure at Igbara-Oke, declared a national monument on 13 March 1963.
Foundation
Oral tradition states that Akure was founded by a prince named Omoremi, son of Ekun and grandson of Oduduwa OmoluabiOduduwa
Oduduwa Omoluabi, Olofin Adimula, Emperor of the Yoruba, phonetically written by his people as Odùduwà and sometimes contracted as Odudua or Oòdua, is generally held among the Yoruba to be the reigning ancestor of the crowned Yoruba kings....
, the royal progenitor of the Yoruba tribe. The Prince left Ile-Ife, his grandfather's kingdom, in search of a place to settle after passing a strict test administered by Oduduwa himself. This test wherein he was kept in solitude for about nine (9) days is still annually commemorated in Akure today by the reigning king of the town during a ceremony known as 'Oba wo ilesunta'. At the point where the prince and his party arrived at the exact location of the modern city, the string holding the heavy royal beads on his neck is said to have snapped, thus causing the people to exclaim "Àkún rę" (or The beads have snapped), this later becoming the name of the settlement they established on the site. Over time, the phrase was wittled down through its constant use to become Akure.
Omoremi is said to have hunted with his entourage while on his way from Ile Ife. He arrived in Akure and was proclaimed the Person who hunted and arrived with royalty, i.e., Asodeboyede. Originally, the kings of Akure that were born of him were referred to as Ajapada. The title Deji of Akure started with Oba Arakale, whose father took the daughter of Oba Atakumosa, the Owa of Ijeshaland as one of his wives while the latter was on his way to Benin. By the time Oba Atakumosa was returning to Ilesha from the pilgrimage, his daughter (Owawejokun) had given birth to a son. While other dignitaries gave the little baby common gifts, Oba Atakumosa was said to have presented his grandson with a small diadem
Diadem
Diadem may refer to:*Diadem, a type of crown-Military:*HMS Diadem was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line in the Royal Navy launched in 1782 at Chatham and participated in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1787...
. Owafadeji i.e., Owa gave him a diadem or royal crown became the nickname of the young boy, and by the time he reached his adulthood it had become his de facto name. When Owafa'Deji became Oba, the appellation assumed a titular importance and because of his prominence as an Oba, subsequent Obas or kings assumed the title while the advent of the modern era has formally made Deji the official title of the Obas of Akure. However, the original title of Ajapada has remained a significant part of the Deji's ceremonial style till the present day.
History
The Oba's Palace in the centre of the town was built in 1150 AD.During its long history, the city-state of Akure was at times independent, at times subject to other states.
There is a sizable population of Bini origin. Akure was the main base for Benin's
Benin Empire
The Benin Empire was a pre-colonial African state in what is now modern Nigeria. It is not to be confused with the modern-day country called Benin, formerly called Dahomey.-Origin:...
trade in the area, and at times seems to have been considered within the western frontier of Benin.
The Benin historian Egharevba refers to suppression of resistance by "rebellious Akure" during the reign of Oba Ewuare
Ewuare
Oba Ewuare was the greatest warrior legend and the most outstanding king in the history of the Benin Empire. Ewuare , means "it is cool, or the trouble has ceased, and as a result the war is over." The title symbolizes an epoch of reconciliation, reconstruction and the return of peace among the...
of Benin (1440–1473), although the king was allowed to remain as nominal ruler. Another rebellion is recorded a century later during the reign of Oba Ehengbuda of Benin.
Akure had regained independence by the early 19th century, but around 1818 it was recaptured by Benin forces and the Deji was executed.
After 1854, Akure and other Ekiti towns came under the rule of Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
, which lasted until a rebellion in 1876 followed by a prolonged war between the Yoruba states.
Towards the end of the 19th century the British based on their Lagos Colony
Lagos Colony
Lagos Colony was a British colonial possession centered on the port of Lagos in what is now southern Nigeria. Lagos was annexed on 6 August 1861 and declared a colony on 5 March 1862....
had established a protectorate over the area, although they ruled through "native" administrations.
The British sought to combine the Ekiti kingdoms of the region into a single administrative unit, against resistance by the Ekiti people who preferred local autonomy.
In 1899 Ekiti and Ilesha formed the northeastern division of the protectorate. In 1915, Ekiti, Owo and Ondo were combined to form the Ondo Province with headquarters at Akure.
Ondo Province later became part of Western State. In 1976 the old Ondo State
Ondo State
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.-Government and society:...
was formed, and in 1996 Ekiti State
Ekiti State
Ekiti State is a state in southwest Nigeria, created on October 1, 1996 alongside five other new states by military dictator General Sani Abacha...
was split off from the modern Ondo State, which has Akure as its capital.
The death in October 1999 of Oba Ataiyese Adebobajo Adesida IV led to a prolonged dispute over the succession, eventually resolved with the appointment of Oba Oluwadamilare Adesina in 2005.
Oba Oluwadamilare was dethroned on 10 June 2010 for sacrilegious misdeeds (wife beating) and Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II
Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II
Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II was chosen as the traditional ruler, or Deji, of the Akure Kingdom, based in the city of Akure in Ondo State, Nigeria on 13 August 2010.State governor Olusegun Mimiko presented him with the staff of office....
was chosen as the new Deji of Akure on 13 August 2010.
Structure
Akure's King is known as the Deji of Akure and is supported by six high chiefs or Iwarefa in his or her domain. The totem of Akure is the Leopard and the father of Omoremi Omoluabi was himself called Ekun (this was his regnal nameRegnal name
A regnal name, or reign name, is a formal name used by some monarchs and popes during their reigns. Since medieval times, monarchs have frequently chosen to use a name different from their own personal name when they inherit a throne....
). It is for this reason that every descendant of the Akure clan has been addressed by outsiders as Omo Ekun during the recitation of his or her praise poetry
Oríkì
Oríkì, or praise poetry, is a cultural phenomenon among the Yòrùbá-speaking people of West Africa.- Oríkì Characteristics :Oríkì varies in length depending on whether it's the name given to a child to describe the future portents of his or her life or a recital of the accomplishments of a person's...
or, alternatively, as 'Omo Akure Oloyemekun', since Omoremi was said to have stayed for a while at Igbo Ooye before coming to the Akure region.
There are several Ruling and Royal houses of Akure, including the Osupa Ruling House which includes the Odudun Royal House and the Ojijigogun Ruling House which includes the Faturoti, Adesida and Arosoye royal houses.
After the death or removal of an Oba, a princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
is appointed, who is expected to oversee the day-to-day administration of the kingdom while the kingmaker
Kingmaker
Kingmaker is a term originally applied to the activities of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick — "Warwick the Kingmaker" — during the Wars of the Roses in England. The term has come to be applied more generally to a person or group that has great influence in a royal or political succession,...
s select the next Oba from one of the royal houses.
Although the Oba has relocated to a more modern palace, the old building from 1150 AD is still used for all ceremonies.
The place has over 15 courtyards, with each having its unique purpose. Ua nla, Ua Ibura, Ua jemifohun, Ua Ikomo are some of the names of the courtyards.
For example, in the Ua ubura courtyard, oaths are taken, and the ua Ikomo is used for naming ceremonies.
There are two other autonomous communities with their separate obas and traditions within the modern Akure kingdom. The most prominent is Isikan while the second of these is Isolo. The Oba of Isikan is known as Iralepo while the Oba of Isolo is known as the Osolo of Isolo. In the olden days, these were separate towns that were brought together as a result of wars. Nearby towns include Ilara, Igbaraoke, Iju, Itaogbolu, Idanre, Owo, Ikere and Ondo.
Rulers
In recent times, rulers have included:| Start | End | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| 1882 | Odundun | |
| 1889 | Arosoye | |
| 1897 | 1957 | Adesida Afunbiowo I 41st Deji of Akure (d. 1957) |
| 1957 | 1975 | Agunsoye Ademuwagun Adesida II |
| 1975 | 1991 | Otutubiosun Adelegan Adesida III |
| 1991 | October 1999 | Ataiyese Adebobajo Adesida IV |
| 1999 | 2005 | (vacant) |
| 2005 | 10 June 2010 | Oluwadare Adesina Adepoju, Osupa III |
| 13 August 2010 | Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida Afunbiowo II was chosen as the traditional ruler, or Deji, of the Akure Kingdom, based in the city of Akure in Ondo State, Nigeria on 13 August 2010.State governor Olusegun Mimiko presented him with the staff of office.... |