2018 Oodua Festival: Ooni, Adams, others preach unity in Yorubaland

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Babatunde Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), has expressed confidence in the ability of the new Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Gani Adams, to unite Yorubaland.
Oba Adeyeye spoke on Wednesday at the grand finale of the 2018 edition of the Oodua Festival in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Declaring the event open, the Ife monarch also urged other Yoruba obas, sons and daughters of the race to support Adams’ quest for peace across the nation.
Oba Adayeye said Aare Adams had in the last few years shown unequal commitment to the promotion of culture and tradition through the Olokun Festival Foundation, adding that he is the symbol of unity of the Yorubas.
He said it is thus pertinent for all sons and daughters to support him.
Adams, who had earlier visited the Ooni in his palace, alongside three prominent Obas and members of the Oodua People’s Congress and Oodua Progressives Union, said it is the tradition of the group to pay courtesy call to the palace before proceeding to the grand finale of the annual event.
In his speech, he said: “This event is the first public outing since I was installed the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland.
“We are presently in Ife, which is the source.
“It is a new dawn.
“The journey to unite the Yoruba race has begun in earnest.
“I urge all Yoruba sons and daughters to join me in my vision and commitment to unite the Yoruba race.
“This is not too big and we can all make it a reality.
“Our quest to seek peace and unity in our land is incomplete if we fail to appreciate the roles of our foremost Obas, particularly the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo, for their roles at different forums to promote the Yoruba race.”
The Director, Natural History Museum, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Adisa Ogunfolakan, in his lecture urged the Yorubas to embrace their culture and traditions.
Other prominent monarchs present at the event included Oba Joseph Adewole, Morontoye Oni, Johnson Folorunsho and Ifarotimi Ifaloba, among others
Meanwhile, the two-day annual event had earlier featured the grand finale of the beauty pageant, where 16 contestants contested for the coveted prize.
Nineteen-year-old Olalekan Ebunoluwa Ajoke, a student of Razol Theatre Academy, emerged the winner.