Despite allegedly working for him to ascend the throne as the Ooni of Ife, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, said Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has been working against him.
Oba Akanbi made the claim In a video from a Ramadan lecture in Iwo, which was later confirmed by his Press Secretary, Ibrahim Alli, where he maintained that he played a crucial role in leading to the ascension to the throne as Ooni of Ife in 2015.
The monarch alleged that rather than paying him back with gratitude, the Ooni was working covertly to remove him from his own position.
He stressed that such a move included his suspension from the Osun State Council of Obas.
Oba Akanbi recalled that before Oba Ogunwusi emerged as the Ooni of Ife, he was consulted by a mutual acquaintance, Akin Daodu, who connected him to then-Prince Adeyeye.
He noted that there was a court case at that time threatening Ogunwusi’s ambition, despite support from key figures like the former governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
“In 2015, I got a call from Akin Daodu, a close ally of the then Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi, now Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi. He told me Prince Adeyeye was on the phone and that he needed to talk and seek my help regarding his aspiration to the throne of Ooni of Ife. I knew him then, but I was closer to his brother, Tunji Ogunwusi, who was my peer. Tunji Ogunwusi, popularly called Dodo, and I was about eight years older than the Ooni.
“As a friend and peer, I had earlier called Tunji Ogunwusi to help him ascend the throne, but he underrated me and refused to take me seriously.
“We discussed, and he (Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi at the time) disclosed that almost all the stakeholders, including Governor Aregbesola, had agreed to his appointment, but there was a court case instituted by a few aggrieved individuals against him. He said his primary concern was the litigation. I asked him if that was all, and he said yes. I told him he was already a king.
“In his presence, I called the person in charge and told them what I wanted. The case was decided on Friday, and Adeyeye became Ooni on Saturday. This was before my own enthronement. I was not selfish. I secured his own before mine. And a few months later, God used the same link for me to become the Oluwo of Iwoland.”
He stressed that to his surprise, “The same person I helped ascend the throne has been planning evil against me. He orchestrated my suspension from the Osun State Council of Obas meeting.
“He is using a few kings in Iwoland to destabilise my territory. He attacked me last month in the presence of the governor, saying that I am discouraging idol worship. He was part of those who used my former wife against me.
“He wants me to be removed as Oluwo by all means. Such a dream can never come true. No one can remove me as Oluwo. No one can kill me, and no one can bring me down, except if I didn’t help him become the Ooni.”
Responding to Oluwo’s accusations regarding a plot to dethrone him, the Director of Media at the Ooni’s palace, Chief Moses Olafare, described Oluwo’s claim as one undeserving of any response.
“This is not the first time Baba Oluwo will make comments like that. We never reacted, and we won’t react. Let him say whatever he wants. That is what he is busy doing. Everybody has something they are busy with.
“That is what Baba Oluwo is busy doing. Ooni is busy with developmental projects, so he is occupied and doesn’t have time to respond to someone looking for attention. We don’t have time for that. Whatever Baba Oluwo likes, let him say. We are not interested,” Olafare said.
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