Ado Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State is now pulsating in excitement as it rolls out the red carpet preparatory to hosting the World during the celebration of Udiroko Festival from Monday, August 12 to Tuesday, August 20, 2019

His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr) Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti at a World Press conference in Lagos announced  that all is set for the hosting of the historical, cultural and traditional Festival of Ado people as a collective entity with the theme: ‘Enforcing and Sustaining the Solidarity of Our History, Culture and Tradition.’

The royal father remarks:  “The Udiroko festival which marks the first day in Ado Ekiti traditional calendar is yearly celebrated to continually give a pride of place to our history, culture and tradition as a people.

""The celebration of this tripod of our collective existence as Ado people every year provides the ample opportunity to all Ado sons and daughters both at home and in the Diaspora to come together to appreciate God and pray for continuous peace and progress in the coming year.

"As a pride of our cultural togetherness as a people and a by-product of the Ajase Ewi, ‘the Ewi Supernatural Power of Conquest’ inherited from the House of Oduduwa. The Udiroko yearly celebration is always accompanied with feasting, dancing and merrymaking throughout the length and breadth of Ado kingdom and its environs.”

Giving the historical perspective of the Ewi kingdom, His Majesty explained  that Ewi Biritiokun was a prominent prince of the House of Oduduwa, born and bred in Ile-Ife where on the account of his oratorical skill, became remarkable among his peers who nicknamed him Elewi.

His title of Ewi was strongly associated with the saga of Prince Odede alias Oranmiyan in Benin dating to 1200AD. He earned the nickname Ewi or Elewi from his brother princes and Oduduwa his father. Ewi subsequently became his title and entrenched title of his subsequent successors. He was the father of Ewi Olouro and succeeded him in Utamodi and the third Ewi, Awamaro who established Ado kingdom by the conquest of Ulesun, decapitation of Elesun and appropriation of his territories in early 1300AD.

theledgerng.com reports that Udiroko,  (Idi Igi Iroko) literarily means under the Iroko tree- is a euphemistic expression of the significance of the first meeting of the Ad-Ekiti people under the Iroko tree to celebrate the founding of Ado kingdom under the paramountcy of the Ewi who, thereafter or consequently gave a royal proclamation of the first gathering under the Iroko tree as the first day in the Ado-Ekiti calendar.

The press conference which held at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja chaired  by  Prince Julius  Adelusi-Adeluyi had in attendance wife of Oba Aladesanmi,   Olori Abosede Adejugbe, notable sons of Ado Ekiti including High Chief (Prof) Babatunde Sunday Akindele, Ambassador Lanre Ojo-Lanre, Senator Raji Rasaki,Chief Ayo Ayoola, Abileko Adeola Yusuf, Dr. Ayo Ayoola,Otunba  Olu Akiola, Akinboye Akintola, Hon. Sola Eleshin, Hon. Sola Fatoba, and others.