ILE-IFE: When Your Subjects Re-Writes Your History, A Watershed!!
…As Over 200 Yoruba Obas Draws Battle Line Against Olugbo Over Diaspora Kings
…Those Who Betrays Yoruba Race Never Ended Well” – Gani Adams
By Shola Akingboye –May 1, 2019
The grand-standi supremacy battle among the leaders of the Yorubas in the South-western Nigeria over which throne is the monarchical seat of power in Yorubaland, and the origin of Oduduwa, the progenitor of Yoruba people has indeed raised dust among concern indigenes and Nigerians by extension.
The mêlée though transcends era of the present generation of traditional rulers. Some of the controversial issues are dated back to centuries and have
remained unresolved, complicated and complex each time such matters of identity and historical background of the Yoruba race is brought to limelight. This, of course not limited to the descendants of Oduduwa, (the Yorubas), but a global challenge in unraveling matters relating to historical facts and the controversies surrounding them, especially as time lapses.
But the most recent is what many described as needless and uncalled for, particularly as the two royal fathers in question are of no equal pedestal or pedigree in the Yoruba setting or by virtues of the Nigerian constitution classifications.
The ongoing brouhaha between the two paramount ruler, the Imperial Majesty and the spiritual leader of the Yoruba race, the Ooni of Ile-Ife – Oba Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, the Ojaja II and the Royal Majesty Oba Fredrick Akinruntan Obateru, the Olugbo of Ugbo kingdom in the Ilaje Local government of Ondo state, is indeed a watershed, and the irony behind it is that, Olugbo is the current Chairman of Peace and Conflict Resolution among the traditional institutions in Yoruba land.
The Olugbo Book Launch and the brawl
It is recalled that the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan, had in the book he presented to the
public sometimes ago, claimed that his stool predates that of Ooni. He was particularly angered that the Ooni referred to his lineage as Igbo, describing Ooni’s narrative as a deliberate distortion of historical facts about ancient Ile Ife.
Oba Akinruntan insisted that the Ugbo people still have several quarters in Ile Ife and they are the aborigines of Ile-Ife, who played host to Oduduwa and his group when they migrated to Ile-Ife.
But the Ooni’s account vehemently denied such claim. To him, “If he (Olugbo) knows the depth of what is called Ife, he won’t be talking like that. But this is not the time to respond to that. Yes he can talk about the lineage of Oranfe, which is Sango’s lineage. They both came to this world twice.
“First, it was in the spirit realm and the second time, it was the physical. There is Ife Oodaye, there is Ife Ooyelagbo and the third is Ile Ife, now Ile-Ife. He does not know the story of Oodaye, that is the Ife of the spirit. Everything that happened in the land of the spirit of the first happened again in the second Ife, so he could not link the two.
“At the first Ife, they were spirit, Oduduwa (Adua), it means prayer. Who doesn’t pray? That is the meaning of Oduduwa. He is called the mouth of God, words of prayers. If you go to the Arabia world, the Muslim world, it is duwa that they call prayers, which is Adura in Yoruba land. That is Oduduwa.”
Reacting to Ooni’s comment that he does not understand the historical timeline between Ife Ooye, Ife Oodaye and Ile Ife, Oba Akinruntan described Ooni’s claim as “completely laughable”. The Olugbo stated that there was Ife Ooye era, Ife Oodaye era, Ugbomokun era, before Ile Ife era. He further asserted that the two prominent markets in Ile Ife today, OjaIfe and Oja Aiyegbaju were founded by his own forefathers, Oranfe and Osangangan Obamakin. He maintained that contrary to what is popularly listed in some books, the reign of Osangangan Obamakin predates the coming of Oduduwa to Ile Ife. He also stated that the most revered inner portion of the palace of the Ooni where his initiation rites to the throne must be done is called ‘Ile Ugbo’.
Moremi, and the fracas
In reaction to statements made by the Ooni at the unveiling of Moremi Ajasoro’s statue recently, Oba Akinruntan threw the first salvo. His attacked on the Ooni of Ife for describing the woman as a heroine did not go down well with many prominent son and daughters in the land, suffix to note that Moremi Ajasoro was a revered personality in Yoruba land over the century.
The Ugbo monarch disagreed with the Ooni, who described Moremi as a goddess when he recently unveiled a 42-foot statue in her honour.
Alas! to the Ondo monarch, Moremi was a traitor who betrayed her husband, Osangangan Obamakin.
But in a swift reaction, the Ife monarch said Olugbo did not have deep knowledge of Yoruba history.
The Olugbo’s Gambit over Moremi
In a statement issued by the Olugbo-in-Council, the Olugbo said: “We, the Olugbo–in–Council, found such (Ooni’s
remarks about Moremi) unguarded statements and historical fallacy disturbing, particularly when such emanated
from a monarch who is expected to be a custodian of history, customs and traditions of Yorubaland. We hereby state categorically that we are Ugbos, the aboriginal settlers and owners of Ile-Ife.
“Our forefathers descended from heaven that is why we are called ‘Ugbo Atorunwo’.
The statement further read: “Oduduwa came to Ugbomokun as a stranger and was welcomed in Ilero, the aboriginal palace of Osangangan Obamakin, which is still in existence in present-day Iremo, in Ile Ife. During the dynastic struggles, Osangangan Obamakin was directed by the oracles (Ifa and Osanyin) to leave Ile Ife. Moremi betrayed her husband’s trust when she exposed the secret of the Ugbo warriors’ gallantry.
“Popular history states that Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Ooni, migrated from the East/Mecca. In another account by the Oba of Benin, recently, Oduduwa came from Benin. We ask that the Ooni should confirm his ancestral roots. It is also of importance to note that in the ancient custom of Yoruba, an incumbent king must have no living father. Also, no man from a female lineage of a ruling house is qualified to sit on the throne”.
Ooni Reacts
In reaction by the paramount ruler of Yoruba land, Oba Ogunwusi, who spoke through the Director of Public Affairs of the Ooni’s Palace, Moses Olafare, said the Ooni would not dignify the Olugbo with an answer because he was more focused on achieving unity among all Yoruba people and would not allow himself of any distraction.
The Ooni insisted that Moremi was a heroine, who deserved accolade because of the role she played in the liberation of Ife people from some “faceless terrorists”.
“This outburst of Olugbo can only be viewed by well-meaning people as a pitiable act of absurdity that doesn’t deserve serious attention by serious people. How on earth could a Yoruba king refer to Moremi as a traitor because she used her power as a woman to liberate her people from incessant invasions by some faceless terrorists?
“Most paramount on the mind of His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, with the unflinching support of the Alaafin, baba; the Awujale; the Alake; the Orangun; the Deji; the Ewi; the Osemawe; the Olubadan; the Oba of Lagos; and other relevant peace-loving monarchs in Yorubaland and in other parts of the country is and remains the much-needed progress of Yoruba nation which can only be achieved through peace and unity.
“It is a pity that at this time when everybody is tired of retrogressive royal discord, the Olugbo, who claims to be the Chairman of Yoruba Obas Committee on Peace and Reconciliation, has suddenly without a deep knowledge of Yoruba history, woken up to see royal controversy as the only tool for cheap publicity,” the statement read.
Yorubas / Igbo Analogy, the Ooni’s Revelation
A new dimension was recently introduced to the unending controversy about Yoruba history when Ooni of Ife, Oba
Adeyeye Ogunwusi claimed that Igbos from the Eastern part of Nigeria and not Ugbo from the Ilaje, Ondo State, invaded Ile-Ife before Moremi sacrificed herself, to liberate her people.
Known for his uncommon bridge building across ethnic nationalities for peace and tranquility to reign in Nigeria, the monarch, during an interview granted a national newspaper claimed that the Igbos have a strong lineage with the Yoruba, as against the claim by Ugbo people to be the aborigine and original owners of Ile-Ife. The claims had since caused serious royal rumbles with the palaces sticking to their oral tradition.
Ooni noted that the Igbos are from Ile-Ife, saying the two major ethnic groups in Nigeria are inseparable members of the same family.
Ooni Ogunwusi stated this, during the Easter break at his Ile-Oodua palace in Ile-Ife, while receiving the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State, Chief Solomon Ogbonna who accompanied the delegation of African Farmers And Cultural Organization on a courtesy visit to the palace.
Through a statement by his Chief Press Secretary and Director of Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, Oba Ogunwusi further noted thus: “I am so happy to have the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State here as part of this empowerment initiative.”
“Lagos is part of Yoruba land, we are all one, we are all the same, the history is there, the facts are there and we should actually put these facts out. Why are we fighting?
“This is your root. I said it recently, some of our Yoruba kinsmen with ignorance of our history came out to berate my position on the family ties between Yoruba and Igbo people. We have to say the truth and the truth must set us all free, we are blood brothers. We should be inseparable. Please feel at home in Yorubaland and respect your Yoruba brothers and sisters too.
“We still have House of Igbo right in this palace till date. We call it Ile Igbo up till now. Our ancestors are buried and transfigured there. That is where kolanut was first discovered and nurtured.
The Igbo are still the biggest consumers and users of Kolanut which is only planted in Yoruba land till date. Can the Igbos do without Kolanut?
“The ancient Igbo house is one of the most sacred places in the palace till date. One of my brother kings – Aka Arogundabi from Iremo quarters saw the mysteries of house of Igbo (Aka-ri-Igbo). Till date, Akarigbo of Remo Land still sees house of Igbo as a common heritage of his forebears.
“He also maintained that he is a reincarnated spirit of his ancestors, asking Olugbo of Ugbo in Ondo State, Oba Fredrick Akinrutan Obateru to visit the Ile Oodua in Ile-Ife for proofs and evidences on the Igbo/Yoruba ties and also various tribes of Igbo ancestory in Ife.
“We have a lot of discoveries that the Igbo and Yoruba people once lived together as one family and this will be revealed to the public. We should look at things that connect us together, not those that separate us.
“I am a reincarnated spirit of our ancestors; my name is Enitan which means a child of stories and mysteries. I had come to this world before, that’s why I am Babatunde also and I am back again to establish the truth and nothing but the truth and the truth will set us all free.
“Let us all reconcile our differences and look at things that connect us rather than things that divide us”, Ooni stressed.
Yorubas have no ancestral link with Igbo, Olugbo counters Ooni
In what appears as a primordial aggression against the Ooni of Ife by the Olugbo of Ugbo, the disagreement over the 
history of Yoruba is allowed to deepen.
At an interview during the celebration of Aje (Commerce) Festival in Ile Ife, the Ooni had ascribed the origin of wealth and prosperity of Yoruba people to the ingenuity of Igbo people of the Southeast.
According to Oba Ogunwusi “Aje Festival means festival of wealth and prosperity, everything in this world that we stand for, everybody is looking for in one way or the other, is improvement in their social cultural status.
“But to God’s glory, a particular race discovered commerce first. And truth be told, the race that discovered it first and really nurtured it is the Igbo. The Igbos, through their ancestral background – the lineage of Obatala – first discovered prosperity and wealth in terms of the divinity world. And that is why, today, the Igbo race is very peculiar and has very good expertise when it comes to commerce. Igbos are very distinct all over the world. There is no place in the world you won’t find an Igbo man.”
Meanwhile, the historical facts of the Yoruba and Igbo people history did not go down well with the Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Akinruntan. He again took a swipe at the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, betraying his historical facts that Igbo people started commerce in Yoruba land.
Olugbo, who described Ooni’s comment as not only a distortion of historical facts, said the monarch’s comment might also cause inter-ethnic crisis in the country.
He urged other Yoruba Obas to call Ooni to order and stop him from relegating the Yoruba race in his “futile efforts at re-writing history.”
But Oba Akinruntan, who said he has been inundated with calls for clarification, said Ooni erred because there was no historical link between Yoruba and Igbos, and that the monarch deliberately substituted Ugbo for Igbo to cover the truth that Ugbo are the aborigines of Ile-Ife.
He said: “the fact remains that the present day Ile-Ife was called Ugbomokun, while the ancient market was called Oja-Ugbo or Ugbomokun Akira. The ancient markets are Oja Ayegbaju, founded by Oranfe and Oja Ife, founded by Osangangan Obamakin.
“It is important to note that Aje deity was instituted by Oranfe and Osangangan Obamakin and up till today, the descendants of Osangangan Obamakin, the Olugbo kith and kin are the custodian of the Aje deity and not the Igbos or Ibos of the South Eastern Nigeria.
“According to Igbo historians and scholars, they are Jews who migrated to the Southeastern Nigerian. There is no link that identifies the Igbo people as founders of Aje deity, talk less of being the founder of Ugbomokun…
“To claim that Igbos are the founders of Aje deity is a slap on all sons and daughters of Yorubaland and a direct assault on our forefathers.” He added
Igbo, Original Owners of Ile-Ife — Ohanaeze
It was another dimension put together as the Igbo socio-cultural body, the Ohaneze Ndigbo from the Eastern part of Nigeria reacts to the statement from Ooni’s palace. The National Deputy Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chuks Ibegbu had said Igbo people were the original occupants and owners of Ile-Ife before the arrival of the Yoruba. The reaction by Ohanaeze read: “Odudunwa (Last born), later called Oduduwa was an Igbo Prince who occupied Ile-Ife, but the Yoruba saw him as a god because he was very powerful and had magical powers.
“The Yorubas learnt and spoke Igbo language then and that is the reason for the similarity between Igbo and Yoruba language.”
Concern Yorubas battles Olugbo
Not a few among the Yorubas see the attacks, particularly against the Ooni as an affront not just targeted against the Oba Ogunwusi alone, but against the stool and the mystical being of the Oduduwa, who is globally believed to have been represented by the Ooni on hearth, but whose the Olugbo of Ugbo claims was a stranger in Ile-Ife.
“Ignore Olugbo’s anti-Moremi comment – Soyinka tells Ooni
Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, among others has urged the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, to ignore anybody, who called Moremi Ajasoro a traitor.
He said such view did not take away anything from the reality of who Moremi was.
Though Soyinka did not mention anybody’s name, observers noted that the social critic was referring to Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, who had controversially referred to the late Moremi as a traitor that was not worthy of celebrating few days after the Ooni inaugurated a statue in her honour.
He said, “There is controversy about the origin of someone whom we know as the origin of Yoruba race, kingdom, black race and humanity. The controversy may continue for long but the reality is that Kabiesi, the Ooni of Ife above all, Ile Ife is the cradle of humanity.
“We know what we know; we know what we accept and believe and that remains the fact. I have just gone to see the statue of Moremi and the controversy on Moremi. I learnt that some people said that Moremi, the heroine, is a traitor. That does not touch any part of reality of what Moremi is or was. And I don’t want you (Ooni) to spend any time or energy at all responding to counter or alternative theories. It is not necessary.”
Soyinka, who added that the influence of the Ooni and Ile Ife as the cradle of mankind transcended this region, said the Ife monarch was recognised and referred above other Obas outside the shores of Nigeria.
“Who Is Olugbo to Deserve A Response” – Oba Oladapo Olafiranye
Another notable King in Yoruba land, has also admonished Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi to ignore all forms of word interchange with Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, particularly on Moremi Ajasoro’s indubitable facts as revealed by Ooni Ogunwusi; a traditional ruler and one of the custodian of a Yoruba deities (Ogun) in Ile-Ife, Oba Oladapo Olafiranye has really came hard on Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom.
Through a statement posted on his blog, Olafiranye berates Olugbo over his outbursts, he cautioned the paramount ruler of Ilaje land against disparaging historical facts as it relates to Ile-Ife, describing Olugbo action as self-effacing and attention seeking.
He noted thus: “As the custodian and living spirit of Ogun (the pace setter among the deities in Yoruba land), I have a responsibility to educate and enlighten individuals and or groups that may want to turn down the history, culture and tradition of the Yoruba people”
“This is because Ogun saw it all! It is for this reason that I consider it appropriate to respond to the disparaging statement on aspects of Yoruba history credited in this instance to Oba Fredrick Akinrutan Obateru, Olugbo of Ugbo land.”
“The monarch in recent times has embarked on self-delusion with regards to his status and position among the traditional rulers in Yoruba land, among other erroneous postulations coming from the Olugbo’ palace”
“Also he dishonestly condemned the celebration of Moremi as a patriotic heroine by the good people of Ile Ife”
“My first impression to this untoward outburst was to ask the pertinent questions: (a) Who is Olugbo to deserve a response? (b) What led to their emigration away from Ile-ife? The controversial Obateru should endeavor to find out”
“It is disheartening to hear a Yoruba Oba being extremely ignorant of the history”
“Without justification, how could somebody in his senses claim that Moremi Ajasoro is not an heroine, while the 
brave woman is regularly celebrated all over the land for her effort in bringing freedom to the source”
“In another sense, Olugbo, a sectional Baale (in real hierarchy) intends to undermine our most revered father, Ooni Adeyeye by ignorantly challenging the monarchial stool of Ooni. How on earth could somebody claim to be more catholic than the Pope?”
“Obateru is an attention seeker indeed. This man, a conflict maker categorically stated that the Ugbos are the aboriginal settlers and owners of Ife! A sharp response to this would trigger ones thought of asking who his father was?”
“As in all Yoruba land, the most important of our sources of Ile-Ife history are orally transmitted (Biobaku 1992). Thus, we ask Obateru of the pedigree of his father that orally transmitted the history to him?”
“Someone that lacks parental guides and guard should not be scold for saying Ooni should not have a father. How could we assist a man who said that Oduduwa was not part of yoruba?”
“How could we address him when he proclaimed that it was Osangangan Obamakin, son of Oranfe that founded Ile- Ife? How do we start to educate an acclaimed man who lamented that his forefather of his throne descended from heaven, and that is why they were called Ugbo Atorunwo”
“Whose mental faculty has been eroded than a man who challenged Oonirisa to confirm his ancestral root?
“For the record, I will like to state that certain rebellious group was displaced in Ile-Ife at the dawn of a new era. This displaced group of people eventually settled at Iwinrin/Igbo, where they became wild and call themselves Ugbo. When they were threatened by famine, they began to behave like hawk-like bird which goes by the name Igbo, well known for their aggressive nature.”
“Those who are very close to the elderly persons in Yoruba land would have been told that whenever Igbo bird approaches other birds, the latter will disperse for fear of attack. Hence the Yoruba maxim that “Igbo wonu eye ki eye tuka” meaning the presence of Igbo bird disperses other bird”
“it was this disruptive nature that the refuge group adopted in their attack on Ife township in search of what to eat to survive”
“In an effort to put an end to the incessant raid, a valiant woman by name Moremi Ajasoro, after seeking the consent of her husband who was then the Ooni of Ife, deployed her diplomatic prowess by given herself up for capturing by the marauding beasts”
“This tactic of the stunning woman led to their conquest of the men from the bush. Those who were captured during the surprise counter attack were given state pardon and resettled within ile-ife township”
“From the above, it would seem that someone is turning history upside down to consider as an act of betrayal, the sagacity, valor and intrepidity of Moremi Ajasoro”
“It is important to note that those who were captured and resettled among the Igbo invaders could today be found in compounds within Iremo quarters of Ile- Ife, thus, if anyone from anywhere now found it necessary to seek relevance by connecting himself with Ile-Ife, it should not be at the expense of our cherished history”
“It is a bad omen for a supposed Oba to not just think but said openly that Obas don’t have biological father, what a poor student of history is this man”
“On this particular issue, I consider it as a threat of attack on the father of our Ooni, who by the special grace of Olodumare is still hale and healthy”
“Those who are close to Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan should speak to him on his listening ears. Ife does not and will never allow anyone to smear the sacred Ooni” The statement reads.
Your Installation of Yoruba Diaspora King a Taboo – Yoruba Obas Tells Olugbo
Padding injury with salt, and what appears a primordial offensive against the authority and powers of the Ooni of Ife , the Olugbo of Ugbo kingdom, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, has gone ahead to recognize and install those he described as diaspora kings, and vows nobody can stop him with a promised to crown more kings from the diaspora.
The three crowned traditional rulers are the Oriade of Atlanta Georgia; Oba Bernard Shola Akinrimisi, the traditional ruler of Yoruba in Liberia, Oba Omobolaji Ogunkoya; Oodua Gbadewolu I of Dallas USA, and the traditional ruler of Yoruba in the Republic of Ireland, Oba Saheed Ibrahim Adufe.
The ceremony was graced by a large number of indigenes and non-indigenes of the community who trooped to the palace of Olugbo in Ugbo, Ilaje Local Government of Ondo state, to celebrate some of the role models of Yoruba resident overseas.
Oba Akinruntan, in his opening remarks at the event, said he was ready to crown more kings from the diaspora as long as he remained the number one king in Yorubaland.
Perhaps, the Oba Akinruntan’s action may have brazenly provoked the wrath of the Yoruba Forum of Traditional Rulers, numbering over 200 monarch spread across Yoruba land and parts of North Central states.
In a release to the media, on Tuesday May 30th, 2019, the forum after a thorough deliberation, stated; “Those who cannot be angry at evil, lacks enthusiasm for good. And there is an age long Yoruba that says Agba kii wa loja ki ori omotuntun wo.”
“The attention of the Yoruba Obas Forum being the umbrella body of over 200 Obas in the South West and North Central regions of Nigeria (comprising of OSUN, OGUN, OYO, EKITI, ONDO, LAGOS KOGI, KWARA STATES of Nigeria) has been drawn to the recent illegal, unwarranted and unprecedented endorsement and installation of certain persons as Oba Yoruba of Liberia, Oba Yoruba of Republic of Ireland and Oba Yoruba of Atlanta, Oba Akile of Dallas by OBA OBATERU AKINRUNTAN.
“It is apposite to state categorically that the Yoruba Obas Forum strongly and vehemently reject this sacrilegious endorsement and purported installation which is not only illegal but alien to the Yoruba custom and tradition.”
“We state unequivocally and without fear of contradiction that the purported installation is an affront to Yoruba tradition and a desecration of Yoruba custom and tradition.”
“It must be made crystal clear that OBA AKINRUNTAN does not possess such power under any guise to endorse, install, or crown anyone as Yoruba Oba outside his domain,” the forum said.
Stating further, it said, “Consequent upon the above the purported installation and coronation is therefore declared ultra vires, illegal, void and of no effect whatsoever and cannot stand the test of time.”
“We as a body hereby disassociate ourselves from this illegal and caricature installation and we consider it as abominable and highly condemnable act.”
“We hereby call on His Excellency Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, to cause a discreet and holistic investigation meted with decisive action against him and to call the Olugbo of Ugbo to order and compel him to rescind his illegal action, so as to prevent future occurrence.”
“We will equally like the concerned Embassies as well as the general public to take notice of our stand.”
“We also call on our highly revered monarchs the OONIRISHA and IKU BABA YEYE THE ALAAFIN OF OYO to take a decisive administrative action against these people as well as to take immediate visible steps traditionally to invoke the wrath of ELEDUMARE on all the perpetrators and their cohorts known and unknown,” the forum added.
“With all sense of concern to the observance and respect to the Yoruba traditional rights, the forum added that, “Consequently, we hereby call on OBA OBATERU AKINRUNTAN to immediately reverse the purported installation with a public apology “All authentic Yoruba Oba are hereby requested to ensure that none of these illegally crowned fake Obas must be permitted to dress, talk, assume or act like Obas anywhere on Nigeria soil and if they do not retrace their illegal steps should be considered outcast in all parts of Yoruba land and by all Yoruba indigenes worldwide.”
“A word is enough for the wise. Long live Yoruba Obas Forum, Long live Yoruba Land, Long live Nigeria,” the forum concludes.
However, these shocking salvos have further stoked the flames among kings, treating each other with disdain and no thanks to the overbearing disposition of the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom lately.
The more shocking is the claim of Oba Akinruntan that the Ugbo kindred are the genuine custodians of the Yoruba race and by extension the claims that his forefathers own Ile-Ife. This remains a sore sticking point among reasonable Yorubas home and abroad, who over many centuries have reckoned with the stool of Oonirisa, as not just the paramount Oba of Yoruba land, but the custodian of Ile-Oodua (home of Oduduwa)’s customs and tradition, vis a vis the spiritual head of Yoruba race.
Not a few analyst regards the ongoing gambit by Olugbo as an affront and challenge to the status of the seat of Oduduwa kinghood, whose Ooni’s status represents on heart and widely considered paramount among kings in Yoruba land and elsewhere. Even the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Otunba Gani Adams, while berated Oba Akinruntan maintained thus: “those who tried to betray the Yoruba race never ended well”.
