UDIROKO FESTIVAL

On August 29, 2015, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe celebrated his yearly Udiroko festival. This by tradition is the Ado –Ekiti indigenes New Year day. It is an age long culture that dated back to the history of Ado-Ekiti. Udiroko is a celebration of the supernatural powers of conquest of Ewi. The first Ewi, Awamaro, migrated from Benin and settled at Ado-Ekiti. After his settlement, he embarked on wars of conquest to expand his kingdom. Most of these wars were successful.

At these time. Ewi was not only a king; he was also a supreme military leader who leads his army to war. However, when his kingdom became very large, the administrative and cultural demands of his office as king no longer afforded him time to embark on military expeditions anymore.

He therefore delegated his military responsibilities to the senior commanders of his army who thereafter became traditional war chiefs known as Elegbes. The war chiefs have the duty to report regularly, every successful exploit to the Ewi. On every occasion of this report, they present the products of their exploits like captured slaves, farm products, weapons of war etc, to the Ewi.

Ewi usually hold this kind of court under an Iroko tree in the palace where every Ado indigene will come and celebrate the successful exploit with him with dancing and prayers. The indigenes will say to the king "wa segun ota, wa reyin odi", which means "you will conquer your enemies and those who rise against you".

The Ewi in return will seat on the stool of the first Ewi known as Owa Uwa, and pray for the people very early in the morning the following day. This is called "Eredun". Owa Uwa is very significant place to the people. It is the inner chamber believed to have been occupied by the first Ewi. That is where very important decisions about the town are made. It is a place where you do not dare to tell lies on oath, and more importantly, it is a place where Ado people believe that any prayers said by the Ewi in the sacred Owa Uwa will receive immediate answers from God.

Over a period of time, successive Ewis centralize this conquest celebration into an annual festival on "Olorunborun" day, a day that all Ado indigenes wake up in the morning to make sacrifices and prayers to the creator. At the evening, they all gathered at the palace and the Ewi from the ancestral throne, Owa Uwa will pray for them.

The king will thereafter announce to the people the programmes and events for the New Year. It was this that then transformed into "Odun Udi Iroko" (Festival under the Iroko).

Udiroko is the abbreviation of the name of the festival. All the war chiefs, other traditional and honourary chiefs, the Efas (traditional police), Eyesorun and Oloris (a procession of the wife of the reigning Ewi and wives of past Obas alive), the Princes and Princesses, groups or their representatives, and foreigners and indigenes alike, in their groups dance and pay homage to Ewii as he sits majestically on his throne!! It is always a beauty to behold.

This year's Udiroko was particularly colourful as the governor of the state; Ayodele Fayose led senior government officials to pay homage to the Ewi. It is significant because this singular act has lifted the Udiroko to higher pedestal, giving it a national recognition. It was beamed life on several television stations.

The importance is not lost on the indigenes which recognize it as another victory for the Ewi. Less than ten years ago, this particular governor was going to depose the same Ewi for political reasons.

Women, both young and old nakedly paraded the streets to protest the acts of brigandage of the governor. For the same person to now prostrate before the King in total submission is victory indeed. As in the olden days, Ewi of Ado –Ekiti still retains his "supernatural power of conquest".