A combined photo of Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi
By Shade Damiro
The traditional rulers in Origbo under the Ife North Local Government of Osun State have issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, demanding a retraction of his recent allegations against the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.
At a press conference held on Thursday at the Palace of Salu Edunabon, the monarchs accused the Oluwo of misbehavior, insult, and gross disrespect to the sacred throne of Oduduwa.
They described the Oluwo’s remarks, including claims that the Ooni conspired with his ex-wife to poison him, as criminal, defamatory, and unbecoming of a traditional ruler.
The Obas recalled that Oluwo had previously been suspended for six months from the Osun State Council of Obas after he allegedly assaulted the Agbowu of Ogbaagba during a peace meeting, an action ratified by the Ooni of Ife as Chairman of the State Council of Obas.
They insisted that the recent outbursts of the Oluwo were aimed at ridiculing the institution of traditional leadership in Yorubaland, warning that such behavior would no longer be tolerated.
Reading the communiqué, HRM Oba Adesoji Kehinde Oladepo, the Salu of Edunabon and Acting Chairman of the Ife North Chieftaincy Committee, said the Oluwo has 21 days to write to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to substantiate his allegations or retract them publicly.
“Failure to do so will leave us with no choice but to take legal action against him at the expiration of this ultimatum,” the statement declared.
The Obas emphasized that the Ooni of Ife remains the head of all traditional rulers in Yorubaland, describing the Oluwo’s continued outbursts as attempts to gain undue attention.
The statement was jointly signed by; HRM Oba Adesoji Kehinde Oladepo JP, the Salu of Edunabon, Vice Chairman, Osun State Council of Obas, and Acting Chairman of Ife North Chieftaincy Committee; HRM Oba Alhaji Mufutau Babawale Oyekanmi, the Alasipa of Asipa; HRM Oba Dr. Mesharch Oyewole Oyediran, the Olulamokun of Yakoyo; and HRM Oba Pastor Oluwabusola Oloyede, the Alakinlaalu of Akinlaalu.
The traditional rulers reaffirmed their loyalty to the Ooni of Ife, stressing that no amount of “unruly conduct” from the Oluwo of Iwo would diminish the supremacy of the sacred stool of Oduduwa.
Recall that he Oluwo of Iwo, had accused the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, of setting him up with a woman.
The accusation came amid the ongoing dispute between the two Yoruba royal fathers.
Oluwo made the fresh allegation while reacting to the news of his suspension by the Ooni of Ife in a now trending Instagram video.
Addressing Nigerians, Oluwo, who claimed to have helped Ogunwusi to ascend the throne, accused Ooni of attempting to kill him.
Also speaking about his marriage with Chanel Chin, his Canadian estranged wife, Oluwo stated that he divorced her after he found out that Ooni planted her to set him up.
He wondered: “What is Ooni of Ife doing with my ex wife in the hotel?”
“This message is for Nigerians, most especially the Yorubas. I’m saying this because I want other Nigerians to know. When I get on the throne, you see me talking about Ooni Adeyeye. What you don’t know, I will tell you today.
“Governor of Osun state, Commissioners and all. I helped Ooni Adeyeye but because he’s worshipping an idol and me, God has put me above orisa (idol) as a king and because of that as a king maker, I’m the one that helped Ooni to become a king. He doesn’t want me to say the story in the future and he was looking for my downfall. Then the next thing, they packaged a woman for me from Canada. I don’t know her. She was packaged for me as a set up.
“When they set me up. She was in my house, and they were talking to her and setting me up with videos and many things. She will be asking me certain questions in the bedroom. This supposed wife was an agent of death sent to my house. She was in my house for three years, she had a child which I don’t even know if the child is mine right now, I have to confirm that through DNA.
“Because they want her to kill me. She poisoned me two times, they set up assassination attempts, they did many things so that their orisa, their gods will kill me but they failed. When I found out about this secret and kicked this woman out, it was the same Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi that lodged her. Ask him what he was doing with the lady at the hotel. I won’t mention the hotel name now but I will do that later. What are they doing with each other inside the hotel? He was the one that accommodated her and rented a house for her.
“This fight cannot be resolved. It will continue. I heard a report that Ooni suspended me, Ooni can never suspend me. Can a paramount ruler suspend another paramount ruler? Never. There’s more to come after this,” Oluwo stated.
It would be recalled that Oluwo announced divorce from his Canadian wife, Chanel Chin, in 2019.
