I am the leading Yoruba Oba, says Akinruntan

The supremacy tussle among Yoruba monarchs deepened yesterday, as the Olugbo of Ugbo, Obateru Akinruntan, described his stool as the oldest in the southwest region.

He made the claim at an event to mark the 30 years anniversary of Kola Olootu as a radio presenter in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.The monarch, who is the Chairman, Yoruba Obas’ Conflicts Resolution Committee, said he had published a book on the true history of the Yoruba race.

He said his publication, the volume two of which would soon be released, placed the Olugbo above other monarchs in the region.Akinruntan tasked historians to research into the pre-Oduduwa history of the Yoruba race, adding that it was unfortunate that researchers focused more on Oduduwa’s arrival at Ile Ife, without disclosing the people that he met in that historic town.

The monarch said it was an insult for the children of “immigrants,” to refer to themselves as the leaders, saying the time has come to make public the “true story of Yoruba land.”

He challenged any traditional ruler who has superior historical facts to present them, rather than engaging in arguments that are not backed with facts.According to him: “It is a statement of fact that Oduduwa met some people at Ile Ife with a monarch and those were my ancestors who were the aborigines of Ife.

“I am the leader of all monarchs in the Yoruba land. I speak with thunder in my mouth and I make bold to say so. No one is above me, in as much as it had been accepted that we are from Ife.”

The monarch explained that he was the one that Oduduwa met at Ife, as the “husband of Moremi Ajasoro. Anyone who wants to receive real traditional blessing should approach me, because I am the one that was bestowed with the power.”The monarch said the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, has accepted that his book is the authentic history of the Yoruba race