The age-old tradition of royal camaraderie in Yoruba land has taken a hit as a verbal war erupts between the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi. The rift, laden with accusations of betrayal and sabotage, has sent ripples through the traditional corridors of power in Osun State.
Oluwo, in a fiery statement through his spokesperson, Ibrahim Alli, accused the Ooni of plotting his downfall despite his role in securing Ogunwusi’s ascension to the revered throne of Ife in 2015. The Oluwo claimed that after helping the Ooni overcome legal hurdles to clinch the title, he has since been repaid with conspiracies, including an alleged attempt to oust him from the Osun State Council of Obas.
“In 2015, I got a call from Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi, seeking my help to become Ooni. I stepped in, and within days, his throne was secured. Yet, the same person I supported has been working against me ever since,” Oluwo alleged.
He further claimed that the Ooni publicly humiliated him before Governor Ademola Adeleke and orchestrated his suspension from the council, leveraging certain traditional rulers in Iwo to destabilize his reign.
However, the Ooni’s camp has dismissed these allegations as reckless and baseless. His spokesperson, Moses Olafare, argued that Oba Adeyeye’s kingship was predestined and not influenced by Oluwo’s intervention.
“Ooni was ordained to ascend the throne at birth. His middle name, ‘Enitan,’ signifies his divine calling. His suspension from the council was a consequence of his actions—he fought a fellow monarch in public. The council investigated and recommended his suspension, not the Ooni,” Olafare stated.
He further revealed that the Ooni had, in fact, supported the Oluwo’s enthronement financially and logistically but has never boasted about it.
As the tension escalates, this royal feud raises critical questions about unity among Yoruba monarchs and the power struggles behind the throne. Will the kings reconcile, or is this just the beginning of a deeper rift in the Yoruba traditional hierarchy?
