The 2026 Osun-Osogbo Festival will feature 10-year-old Princess Alimot Moredeke Ajoke Osunbunmi as the new Arugba, a sacred role traditionally reserved for a young virgin maiden from the royal family of Osogbo.
Princess Alimot, who is from the lineage of the Ataoja of Osogbo, was selected through the traditional Ifa divination process in March 2025 to serve as the symbolic figure leading one of the most important ceremonies of the historic Yoruba festival.
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Her emergence followed the end of the tenure of Osuntomi Ewatomi, who served as Arugba for about 12 years before her marriage brought her service to a close.
The Arugba role holds deep spiritual and cultural significance within the Osun-Osogbo tradition.
According to longstanding customs, the chosen maiden must come from the royal lineage and is traditionally expected to maintain her virginity while serving in the position.
The requirement is regarded by devotees as part of the sacred responsibilities attached to the role, with the Arugba representing purity and serving as a symbolic link between worshippers and Osun, the river goddess honoured during the festival.
Princess Alimot’s selection was not based on public nomination or personal choice but followed Ifa divination, a traditional Yoruba spiritual process used to determine the maiden considered suitable for the role.
At her young age, Princess Alimot is among the youngest Arugbas in recent years to take on the revered responsibility. Her age has influenced how some duties are performed during the festival.
During the 2025 edition, she did not carry the sacred calabash traditionally associated with the Arugba procession. Instead, a male chief priest, identified as Baba Osun (Adesina), carried the object while the young princess led the procession.
Traditional custodians explained that the decision was made because of her age and the physical demands involved, adding that she is expected to assume greater responsibilities as she matures.
The Arugba traditionally carries a sacred calabash containing ritual offerings to the Osun Sacred Grove and is believed by devotees to present the prayers and hopes of the community to the deity.
Beyond the spiritual role, the Arugba procession remains one of the most recognised moments of the festival, attracting worshippers, tourists and cultural observers from Nigeria and abroad.
The 2026 Osun-Osogbo Festival is scheduled to hold from August 7 to August 19 in Osogbo, Osun State, featuring traditional rites, cultural displays, drumming, dancing and the famous procession to the Osun Sacred Grove.
The festival, centred around the UNESCO-listed Osun Sacred Grove, traces its origins to more than 600 years of Yoruba history and traditions surrounding the relationship between the people of Osogbo and the Osun River goddess.
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With Princess Alimot serving as the new Arugba, the 2026 celebration is expected to showcase the continuity of one of Nigeria’s most significant indigenous cultural traditions.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
