Who is Yoruba?

Who is Yoruba?

When the Awujale of Ijebu Òde said sometimes ago that Ijebu not Yoruba many people thought Kabiesi wasn’t right, but Aláàfin Ọ̀yọ quickly went to visit him he even went with danofijo a popular Masquerade of Ọ̀yọ́ town to entertain Awujale, a smart moves by Kabiesi Aláàfin.

My late father (Olowoporoku)
always corrected me anytime I refered to myself a Yoruba (ṣe ara Ọ̀yọ́ ni ẹ ni) are you from Ọ̀yọ́ town? He will said to me.

Baba told me that Yoruba is the name the Gogobiri (Gambari of the North) called Oyo people, the name became popular during the era of Alaafin Abiodun Adegolu bcos of he’s peaceful and long rein, Ọ̀yọ́ people were the Yorubas proper.

Ẹ̀gbá, Ìjẹ̀bú, Ifẹ̀, Rẹmo, ijesha, Èkìtì, Ondo, Ketu, Ùgbó and Ibini were not part of Yoruba.
We are all connected to Ile Ifẹ that’s why we speak same Language but we are not all Yorubas until 1919/1920.

The adoption of Yoruba name was part of colonial legacy.

Between 1901- 1904 there was a war between Awujale of Ijebu Òde and Akarigbo of Isagamu the war was serious to an extent the British was unable to curtail it,
then the British always thought that Aláàfin was the head of all the Obas bcos it was the Aláàfin that invited them to Yorubaland during the kiriji war, they sent message to Aláàfin for intervention Aláàfin sent his Staff of office to the seat of war but the messengers were chaced away.
The British were loosing money and goods from interland because war between the two major people to the Port was damaging the British economic interest… goods can’t reach Lagos Port via Isagamu/Ikorodu and Ijebu Òde /Ẹpẹ.
The Aláàfin adivised them meet the Ọọni of Ifẹ instead.

The British quickly rán to Ọọ̀ni to rescue the situation, then it was a taboo for Ọọni of Ifẹ̀ to leave the palace or Cross water , after a long beggins the iwerefa of Ifẹ̀ agreed to let the Ọọni set aside the tradition for peace to rein with heavy fine for the sacrifces by iwarefas the British agreed to be responsible, then for the first time in the history Ọọni of Ifẹ̀ left he’s palace.

The day the Ọọni of Ifẹ̀ left his palace, Baba told me that all the Ọbas and Baalẹs in Yoruba land including Ọba of Benin and Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ vavated their palace to honor the tradition, the Awujalẹ and Akarigbo order their army to seize fire when they heard the coming of Ọ̀ọni of Ifẹ̀. That was how powerful the trandition was.

After the war, the British started the process to weaknening the Yoruba people and traditional bonds, they finally called the meeting of the first class traditional rullers to adopt ‘Yoruba’ as a common name, but the Awujalẹ of Ijebu ode, Ọ̀ọni of Ifẹ̀ and Oba Benin rejected the name but the British had there way.

That is the smartest way to control us as a whole.
So if the Aláàfin Ọ̀yọ́ said he is the only King that have the power to confer title of Yoruba on anyone he might be right bcos the Yoruba name belongs to Ọ̀yọ́ people.
Its part of colonial hangover!