Edi Festival in Ile-Ife: Gender, Violence and Participation in the Age of Social Media

In Ile-Ife, the city of 201 Gods, there is a power contestation between the chief priest (Chief Yekere), chief priestess (Chief Eri) and Amuru Moremi (Amuru) over who will emerge as the face and custodian of Moremi. Moremi is an Ife orisha-heroine who is honoured and celebrated in the annual Edi Festival, one of the major festivals in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. From September to November 2024, I conducted ethnographic research on Edi Festival in which I got to witness this power contestation and also interviewed Chief Yekere, Chief Eri and Amuru. Chief Eri has conceded the physical space of the shrine to an all-male priestly class led by Chief Yekere, which she acknowledges is due to patriarchy and the weaponisation of violence against her. On the other hand, a much younger, Amuru has turned to the digital space for religious performance, participation, influence and relevance. In this paper, I will critically engage with how Amuru is strategically and creatively utilising the social media space of Facebook and Youtube to expand and create new opportunities for gender equality, religious freedom, and innovation within Orisha ritual performances and practices.