- Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I, the Oluwo of Iwoland, says Oduduwa was not the last born of an Igbo prince, as reportedly claimed by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo
- Akanbi described Ohanaeze’s claim as unfounded, false and misleading to the stalwarts of history
- According to the monarch, the fact that “Odudunwa” means last born in Igbo language does not make anyone bearing a similar name Igbo born
- Akanbi vowed to continually protect the rich heritage of the Yoruba race
Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I, the Oluwo of Iwoland, has debunked claims that Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race, was the last born of an Igbo prince.
The royal fathers made the comment in reaction to the counter claim by Ohaneze Ndigbo, following the statement by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, that the Igbo community originated from Ile-Ife, The Nation reports.
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Legit.ng gathers that Akanbi insisted that the alleged claim by the Igbo apex group was incorrect and misleading.
Ohaneze Ndigbo had reportedly claimed: “Odudunwa, later called Oduduwa was an Igbo prince, who occupied Ile-Ife but the Yoruba saw him as a god because he was very powerful and had magical powers.
“The Yorubas learnt and spoke Igbo language then, and that is the reason for the similarity between Igbo and Yoruba language.”
Akanbi, in a statement by his media aide, Ali Ibrahim, described Ohanaeze’s claim as unfounded, false and misleading to “the stalwarts of history,”
He advised Igbos to conduct further research on the adventure of their “own Oduduwa” instead of demeaning the status of the founder of the Yoruba race, “our own source and rallying point.”
Stressing that the record must be sat straight, the monarch said the “Yoruba nation was founded by Oduduwa.”
He said: “The fact that “Odudunwa” means last born in Igbo language does not make anyone bearing similar name Igbo born.
“Ours was Oduduwa meaning ‘he came out black.’ O-he, Dudu-black, Wa-came. Oduduwa was an immortal symbol of merit.
“Oduduwa was never a subject to anybody in West Africa. Our own Oduduwa was one different from your own “Odudunwa” meaning last born.
“We have countless last born in Yoruba called “Abikeyin”. There may be many Odudunwa but there is only one Oduduwa.”
The monarch went further: “Oduduwa was the source of all natural crowns worldwide. He has been in existence even before traditional governance was extended to the Igbos. How then can you be a prince to what you preceded?”
Akanbi vowed to continually protect the rich heritage of the Yoruba race, even as he urged Nigerians to focus on unity-based history and not discrediting one that may tear us apart.
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Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, reaffirmed his position on the family ties between Yoruba and Igbo nations, saying the two ethnic groups are inseparable members of the same family.
The monarch, in a statement issued in his palace in Ile-Ife, made the affirmation while receiving the Lagos state president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Solomon Ogbonna, who accompanied the delegation of African farmers and cultural organisation on a courtesy visit to the palace.
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Source: Legit.ng
