Olota of Ota

The Olota of Ota is the traditional ruler and sovereign of Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.

The traditional institution in OTTA dates back to the IFE OODAYE or ORUNMILA period in particular to say the least as ORUNMILA the great IFA Prophet met a woman OBA named IYARIGIMOKO OTAYO, titled OLOTA ODO, OBA ARODEDEWOMI the original mother  of OTA and the first OLOTA in history as succinctly confirmed by the  ODU-IFA title IRET OLOTA (OWONRIN)  and OSA MEJI (ODU ELEYE). However this traditions are confirmed not only in OTA but by many Yoruba historians especially the IFA priest (babalawo) within the OTA and outside Ota and some scholars and researchers have also confirmed same.  Thus IYARIGIMOKO was the first (OBA) OLOTA in history which dated back to the BC era  at least as confirmed in the Odu-ifa traditions mentioned above. She was, however succeeded by ATELE OLODE MERO, ERELU AFINJU OLOJA EKUN otherwise known as OLOTA ELEGBEJE OJA and OLOTA OLOFIN ARAOYE, first male traditional ruler as the fourth OLOTA in succession that reigned in OTA without any specific date, and many Obas that still reigned after him (Olofin ARAOYE) no date could be ascribed. There are other several Obas in OTA whose names and dynasties had been mowed down by the sickle of time, and/or could not be remembered due to the mist of time but quite few of them are still remembered.

ODELU FAGBA of a well known dynasty was the Olota before the current Osolo (OLOFIN) dynasty led by osolo himself before lkoriku. ARUGBA -IFA, the powerful female IFA priest was the last relic of ODELU-FAGBBA. ARUGBA IFA was born in OTA towards the end of the 13th century. Arugbaifa, an OTA AWORI woman took IFA ikin (IFA ELEKURO), to Oyo ILE the type Orunmila used during his life time which thus every successive Alaafin of Oyo adopted as well as the Oyo mesi known till date. She later married Alaafin Oluaso (circa 1300-1350) and was the mother of Alaafin ONIGBOGI, OLOFIN AREMITAN, the founder of ILE-OLUJI and prince Koyi, the founder of ADO-AWAYE in lbarapa land. Inconsequent of the above, every Alaafin of Oyo and Oyo elders regard Otta as the land of their mothers.

THE OSOLO (OLOFIN IFE PRINCE) DYNASTY: the Osolo dynasty follows immediately after the demise of OLOTA ODELU FAGBA.

Osolo (Son of Olofin Ogbodorigiefon of Oduduwa dynasty ) was a very powerful prince of Ile-Ife  and he brought his beaded crown directly from Ile-Ife and he reigned in OTA as an OBA long before Akinsewa. Of a fact some Obas (Olotas) reigned in Ota from Osolo dynasty or generation before Akinsewa Ogbolu, who is also from Osolo's dynasty. Before the arrival of Osolo and Eleidi Atalabi (Eleidi Atala), OTTA had been producing 0bas (Kings) in succession but not without interregnums


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