A SHORT HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EFON ALAAYE

The history of Efon Alaaye, as an ancient town, dates back to 1200 A. D. In accordance with the historical facts, the founder and the first Alaaye of Efon Alaaye was Obalufon Alaayemore, the third king of the Yoruba race, who reigned at Ile-Ife, whose ancestor was the founder and father of Yorubas, Oduduwa, otherwise known as Odua.

Obalufon Alaayemore, third Oba of Ife, was the son of Obalufon Ogbogbodirin, second ruler of Ile-Ife and eldest grandson of Oduduwa who lived and reigned for an unusually long period. The same Obalufon Alaayemore was one of the brothers of Oranyan, whose children (Ajaka and Eweka) were crowned by him (Oranyan) as the Alaafin of Oyo and Oba of Benin Kingdoms respectively.

Obalufon Alaayemore ascended the ancient and most important throne of Oduduwa when his brother Oranyan, who was supposed to ascend the throne of Ife after Obalufon Ogbogbodirin, was on sojourn at Benin and Oyo.

On the return of Oranyan from Benin and Oyo Kingdoms, after installing his sons as Obas of these kingdoms to ascend the throne of Ife. Obalufon Alaayemore fled from Ife to found Efon Alaaye in Ekiti. When Oranyan died, Obalufon Alaayemore was recalled from Efon Alaaye to ascend the throne of Oduduwa at Ife, for the second time and he thus became the third and fifth ruler of Yoruba race reigning at Ife. Before he left Efon Alaaye, Obalufon Alaayemore installed his son Adudu Oranku as Oranyan did at Benin and Oyo as the second Alaaye in his place and decorated him with all the paraphernalia of kingship and the kingship has ever remained within the lineage uninterrupted since 1200 A. D.

According to the Royal list of 1931, Alaaye of Efon was listed as number 16 among all the Obas in Yorubaland. Extracts from the Nigerian Government Gazette of 28th February, 1903 relating to the special meeting of Central Native council which was presided over by the Colonial Governor, Sir William MacGregor, the Ooni listed Alaaye of Efon as number eleven among leading Yoruba Obas to whom crowns have been given by the Ooni of Ife, ( and number four with regard to Ondo State).
With its unique historical facts and background, Efon Alaaye had been a Sovereign Yoruba kingdom as far back as 1200 A. D.; and it is blessed with rich traditional and cultural heritage.

Before the introduction of the Local Government system of administration into Nigeria, Efon Alaaye, as a sovereign Yoruba Kingdom, enjoyed a kind of traditional political democracy. The administration of the kingdom was in the hands of the Oba-In-Council, made up of the Oba and six Chiefs. Each of the six Chiefs was and still is a head of one of the six quarters that make up the town.

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