Ooni Installs Chief Saka Awojoodu as Jaaran Adimula of Ile-Ife

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has approved the appointment and installation of Chief Saka Awojoodu as the new Jaaran Adimula of Ile-Ife, in a move palace officials said affirms continuity in long-standing traditional institutions.

A statement from the Ooni’s Palace, signed by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, said installation rites were carried out on Thursday at Ile Oodua Palace in line with established customs.

The palace said the ceremony drew palace chiefs, traditional priests and other stakeholders within the Ife traditional council.

According to the statement, the Ooni was represented by the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura, and the Lowa Adimula of Ife, Oba Adekola Adeyeye, during the rites at Oke-Emese within the palace grounds.

The palace said the process followed customs used for the appointment of senior chiefs in Ile-Ife over several generations.

After the formal installation, Chief Awojoodu was accompanied by palace functionaries and traditional priests on a symbolic movement across major compounds and sacred locations in Ile-Ife. The palace described the outing as part of the spiritual and traditional obligations tied to assuming the title.

Speaking at the ceremony, Oba Idowu Adediwura urged the new Jaaran Adimula to serve with integrity, humility and loyalty to the throne of Oduduwa. He said preserving institutional sanctity and customs remains central to the identity of Ife people.

Oba Adekola Adeyeye also addressed attendees and said the new office should be treated as a call to service. He urged the newly installed chief to work closely with kingmakers and other palace chiefs to support unity within the council and contribute to stability in Ile-Ife.

In his acceptance remarks, Chief Saka Awojoodu thanked the Ooni for what he described as confidence in his capacity to hold the office.

He pledged loyalty to the throne and said he would uphold the values, customs and duties attached to the title of Jaaran Adimula.

He also said he would support efforts that protect cultural heritage while promoting peace, unity and development across Ile-Ife.

The appointment comes amid continued attention to the role of traditional institutions in community mediation, heritage preservation and social cohesion in Yoruba land. Palace officials said maintaining due process in chieftaincy installations remains important for continuity and legitimacy.

By reaffirming ceremony, hierarchy and customary obligations, the palace positioned the latest installation as both a leadership transition and a broader statement on institutional stability within one of Nigeria’s oldest traditional centres.