- A storm of controversy erupted when a video surfaced of the Ooni of Ife, bitterly lamenting that he was forcefully driven out of the Oluwo of Iwo’s palace, a claim that has sent shockwaves through the royal corridors.
- The situation took an even sharper twist when the Oluwo of Iwo, through his aide, vehemently rejected the accusations, labeling them falsehoods designed to cast shadows on the Monarch
On Monday, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, broke his silence, vehemently denying the swirling rumors that he had humiliated the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, by walking him out of his palace.
The denial comes on the heels of a viral video that set social media ablaze since Sunday, where the Ooni appeared to allude to a heated conflict with Oba Akanbi.
The Ooni said;
“When I visited Oluwo he chased me out like a child. Since that incident, I have always maintained myself going close to him. Now that you people (attendees) are imploring that I visit him again, what if he does what he likes to me?
“But I have to contain his excesses as an elder, although I am a young person sitting on the throne of the elders. Oluwo, I greet you.”
Reacting swiftly through his spokesperson, Alli Ibrahim, the Oluwo labeled the rumors as false, dismissing the entire situation as nothing more than a distortion of events.
He clarified that the video in question was not only outdated but had nothing to do with any recent encounter, as the Ooni had never visited his palace in the first place.
His words;
“The trending video is old and that there was never a time Ooni came to the palace. The palace will officially react to the trending video”
Their dispute is said to stem from a battle of egos over seniority, with the Oluwo allegedly refusing to recognize the Ooni’s position as the head of traditional rulers in the southwest, despite claims that the Oluwo is seven years older.