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Oba Ajijola Installs Oldest Brazilian Heiress As Yeye Oba of Araromiu

The Olu of Araromi-Eleranigbe Kingdom, Oba (Dr) Hameed Adejoro Ajijola has conferred the honorary and traditional titles of ‘Yeye Oba’ and ‘Iya Olorisha’ on the Brazilian Mother of Saints, Iyalorixa Edelzuita of Oxaguian.

Iyalorixa Edelzuita, the heiress of King’s Stone is the first personality in the world to be bestowed with the two highest honours of the Eleranigbe Kingdom granted to women by Oba Ajijola.

The titles, ‘Yeye Oba of Araromi’ (Mother of the King) and ‘Yeye Olorisha’ (Mother of Deities) were bestowed on the oldest Iyalorixa in recognition of her struggle in defence of cultural rescue, traditionalism, devotion to the sacred and acquired knowledge- ingredients considered noble and vital for those who dedicate their lives to the priesthood.   

The official ceremony for the presentation of certificates and installation was held at the Temple of Mãe Edelzuita – (Ilê Obá N'lá) - in Vila Valqueire, West of Rio. The event was well attended by guests and children of the house's saint.    

The Iyalorixá Edelzuita de Oxaguian, the second oldest daughter of the Saint of Mãe Menininha do Gantois, received  the honors as a gift in the month in which she celebrated her 90th birthday (on 12^th December  2024) and in the year in which she completed 75 years of servitude and obedience to the Orixás.

The honor reinforced the recognition for the abdication of life, which began at the age of 15, when she received the position and inherited the Sacred Stone of Xangô (over 200 years old and coming from Dahomey, present-day Republic of Benin) from the hands of her father.

With absolute responsibility and dedication, she was significant in the fight for the preservation and safeguarding of traditions and the worship of the Yoruba Gods and Afro-Brazilian culture.  She is currently the Iyalorixá with the longest tenure in office in the entire South American country.

 Edelzuita de Oxaguian holds ancestral knowledge that has led her to lead major events such as: the Lavagem do Valongo and the Igreja do Bonfim, in the Caju neighborhood, where the fight for the restoration of the temple built on land donated by Dom Pedro II continues. "I was born predestined to be a guardian, a servant of the traditions and the sacred cult of the Orixás", she adds.

Born in Bahia and baptized Edelzuita Lourdes Santos de Oliveira, she arrived in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1960s. Settling in the city, she founded her temple that became an extension of the Ilê Ìyá Omi Àse Ìyámase, the Terreiro do Gantois. Since then, the Ilê Obá N'lá has become a piece of Bahia in Rio de Janeiro.

Moving easily among various religious leaders, her work and temple were also recognized by another Nigerian monarch, the King of Ifé. "The official document issued by the representative of the State of Osun attested to the traditional nature of my temple and approved its operation in Brazil. It also reaffirmed the roots and ties of Obá N'lá with the principles and traditionalisms of Africa," she emphasized.

Oba Hameed Adejoro Ajijola, who has a PhD in Economics and extensive experience in Administration, Advertising, Consulting, Marketing and Public Health, also combines all his scientific knowledge with his passion for culture and the merit of ensuring strength in the arduous task of preserving the traditions of his people.

It was on this strength he was invited to annual Ile Oba Nla Festival, where he honoured Iyalorixa and also delivered a lecture on ‘Spirituality and the Yoruba Culture’ to invited guests during the festival.