14/11/2025
THERE WAS IGODOMIGODO BEFORE UHẸ/IFE AND BENIN CONNECTIONS.
By Dr. Paul Osa Igbineweka
There was Igodomigodo before Ife in Ugboland. And there was no other Oduduwa before 1100AD when Oduduwa arrived at Ife as a stranger and migrant. Yet a stranger and migrant was made the progenitor by seven theories of Oduduwa's origin that cannot be linked to laws of historical evidence from the historical environment under discourse.
Were the people of Ife called Yoruba during the time of Oduduwa? How can Oduduwa be a Yoruba when Oyo was not yet in existence by Oranmiyan? and from where the name Yoruba emanated from after they jettisoned their ancient name of "Akun."
Yoruba historians should stop narrating history with names or nomenclature that were not contemporaries of any time in question. Oduduwa's existence in Ife has no contemporary link with any Yoruba.
Benin connection with Ife is traced to the time of Igodomigodo and people of Ugboland where Ife was an obscure place amongst sixteen communities of Ilaje, Olukumi, Igala and Idu people. That the prince of Igodomigodo became known as Oduduwa in Ife.
As Oduduwa who was the exiled prince Ekaladerhan of Igodomigodo, and a scion of the Ogiso dynasty, who would now suggest that Ife gave birth to Benin that is offshoot of Igodomigodo? Even by kingdom dynasties of Ogiso lineage and Ọba lineage, it is possible to say both influenced the linkage identity of same ancestry by continuity.
To suggest at all that Yoruba gave birth to Benin is an aberration, because Benin is a derivative from the name Ubini (of Idu-Edo language and not Ibinu (of Olukumi language).
And the name Yoruba was never in existence when Oranmiyan had short sojourn in Igodomigodo (later Benin). Oranmiyan left Igodomigodo and founded Oyo that later on after his demise had the name Yoruba. How can Oranmiyan be Yoruba when Yoruba was never in existence during his time?
Such assumptions had posed questions beyond any form of insinuations as follows:
_ Benin and Yoruba which name is first?
_ Benin and Oyo which name is first? _ Benin and Oyo which one existed first by the sojourner and founder as Oranmiyan?
Some Yoruba historians can fabricate history by superiority complex _ what they are not they would want to claim by all means of falsehood and propaganda.
