The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has shared an incident where he was chased out of the palace of Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi. This revelation came in a video that trended on social media over the weekend.
Speaking in Yoruba, the Ooni explained that during a visit to the Oluwo’s palace, he was treated dismissively, saying, “When I visited Oluwo, he chased me out like a child. Since that incident, I have always kept my distance from him. Now that you people are urging me to visit him again, what if he acts in the same manner?”
Despite the event, the Ooni emphasized that as an elder, he has chosen to be patient with Oluwo’s behavior, stating, “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.”
The Ooni of Ife has consistently advocated for unity among traditional rulers in the region and across Nigeria, while the Oluwo of Iwo has sparked controversy, particularly with his opposition to idol worship, which has been a point of contention among Yoruba traditional rulers.