CRISIS IN ILE-IFE AS RULING HOUSES FIGHT OVER OONI’S STOOL

CRISIS IN ILE-IFE AS RULING HOUSES FIGHT OVER OONI’S STOOL

A quiet but intense fight is already going on between authorised ruling houses in Ile-Ife over who succeeds the late Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuwade. The whole process is taking a controversial dimension, as a clan in the Ogboru ruling house has rejected plans by the kingmakers to restrict their selection to the Giesi family.

​Although it appeared settled that the Giesi house would produce the next Ooni, being next to the Ogboru ruling house in the succession order established by government declaration on the Ooni chieftaincy title of 1977, a clan in the Ogboru royal family is also now jostling for the position. The Ogboru family is contending that the Giesi ruling lineage should blame itself for conceding its turn to produce an Ooni to the late Oba Sijuwade, saying the concession to the late king was to him as an individual and not to the Ogboru clan as a whole.

There are four ruling houses in Ile-Ife – Lafogido, Giesi, Ogboru, and Oshikola. Oba Sijuwade, who reigned between 1980 and 2015, is of the Ogboru royal lineage. The Giesi ruling house last produced an occupant to the position – Ooni Derin Ologbenla – between 1880 and 1894. The other royal houses have also taken turns to produce Obas for the ancient town at various times. The Ogboru lineage produced Oba Adelekan Olubuse I, who reigned between 1894 and 1910, with the Lafogido ruling house producing his successor, Oba Ademuluyi Ajagu (1910-1930). Oba Sijuwade’s predecessor, Adesoji Aderemi, who reigned between 1930 and 1980, came from the Oshikola ruling house.

But the Adetipe family from the Amodo clan of the Ogboru ruling house said it has already submitted an expression of interest for the Ooni stool, saying Oba Sijuwade’s time on the throne should not be counted for the Ogboru ruling house. The development has raised the tempo of the contest for the traditional stool, with fears that getting a new traditional ruler for the ancient town may not be tension and crisis-free after all.

The Giesi Ruling House is however insisting that it is its turn to produce the next Ooni to succeed Mr. Sijuwade, who joined his ancestors on July 28. On the other hand, the Adetipe family of the Ogboru clan is laying claims to an alleged agreement between Giesi and the last Ooni to trade its turn. Already the princes of the Giesi ruling house, namely, Adelowo Ogunleye, Ropo Ogunwusi and Moses Awogbade have insisted that it was their clan’s turn to produce the next Ooni. Mr. Ogunleye, who spoke on behalf of the family, said it was the turn of the ruling house based on the government declaration on the Ooni chieftaincy title in 1977.

He said another memorandum issued by the old Oyo State Government dated September 16, 1980 on the appointment of the Ooni provided for four ruling houses: Osinkola, Ogboru, Giesi and Lafogido in that order.

Sahara Reporters