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Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi
Osun State monarch and paramount ruler of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has condemned what it described as historical inaccuracies in a media report (not PUNCH Online) concerning the only female Alaafin of Ife, Iya Luwo Gbagida.
The statement, issued by the palace’s Chief Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, on Monday, accused the media outlet of distorting Yoruba history and misleading the public.
According to the palace, the report, published on February 2, 2025, contained multiple errors, including misnaming the revered historical figure as Luwo Gbagidi instead of Luwo Gbagida.
It further refuted claims that she bore the title of Ooni, clarifying that “Iya Luwo Gbagida never bore the title of Ooni but Alaafin, translated to Olofin in the Ile-Ife language.”
The palace asserted that Oduduwa himself used the Alaafin title after conquering Ife, while the Ooni title was first adopted by the second ruler of Ife, Obamakin Osangangan, due to his shrine priesthood lineage.
The Oluwo’s statement also disputed historical claims made in the publication regarding the lineage of Iwo’s rulers.
The statement read, “Adekola Telu was never the first Oluwo. The first Oluwo was Olumade Paarin,” adding that Adekola Telu’s journey to establish Iwo was a directive from Luwo Gbagida, rather than a collective decision by multiple rulers or chiefs.
The palace faulted the report’s classification of Luwo Gbagida’s name as “Oruko buruku”, meaning “bad name.”
The statement rejected the characterisation, describing it as “outrightly condemnable” and demanding an explanation.
“Luwo was the heroine, and no woman has surpassed her history. She was our mother,” the palace declared, adding that the name Luwo was derived from Iwo, the ancestral home of her lineage before they relocated to Ife.
The Oluwo Palace urged the media outlet to conduct proper research by visiting the Owodo Royal House in Ile-Ife.
“Her forefathers, from the lineage of Alaafin Oduduwa, who went to Ife and conquered like many other ancient warriors and kings from other territories, went to Ife to conquer it.
“The original blue blood next to her lineage after Alaafin Oduduwa were Alaafin Oranmiyan, Lajamisan, Alade to ju ogun lo (Ladojogun), Owodo, Otaataa…all these were Alaafin of Ife, which in the Ife dialect is called Olofin,” the statement added.
The palace demanded a public apology for what it described as the distortion of Iwo’s rich heritage, warning against further misrepresentation of historical facts.
“We are proud of her. Calling her such an unprintable name is outrightly condemnable. Put the record straight and apologise for distorting the rich history of Iwo and her mother,” it concluded.
