Ooni’s Stool: Abewela Royal House Presents Sole Candidate
Prince alleges threat to life
Yinka Kolawole
The Abewela royal house in IleIfe, a branch of Lafogido ruling dynasty, yesterday presented its sole candidate for the Ooni stool, Mr. Ahmed Aderoju Adewoyin.
Addressing the press, the Sooko of the royal house, Prince David Adeniji, said after the reign of Ooni Adegunle Abewela (1839-1849); out of the two original ruling dynasties (Lajodogun and Lafogido), only one section which is Lajodogun has so far produced seven Oonis of Ife in quick successions.
Adeniji said he was delighted to present Adewoyin as candidate to the throne and expressed the assurance that: “All things being equal, the lopsidedness that has characterised the ascendancy to the throne for a while now would be addressed with the installation of the sole candidate from Abewela.”
He said: “The family deemed it fit to x-ray the ascension to the throne of Ooni of Ife in the recent modern times and intimate concerned stakeholders especially Ife High Chiefs (i.e. Ife Royal Traditional Council/ Kingmakers) in the selection processes of a new candidate for the highly revered stool of Ooni of Ife to allow the dictate of justice, equity and fairness to prevail in the final selection of a new Ooni of Ife.
“Abewela royal family is not oblivious of the order of rotation of the ruling houses as set out in various chieftaincy declarations regarding the method of selection of Ooni of Ife.
“By virtue of the 1957 declaration registered on June 7 that year, the Giesi ruling house conceded its turn to Ogboru ruling house (which consequently produced the late Ooni Okuade Sijuwade in 1980). This also led to the emergence of the 1977 declaration which order of rotation, aside from being incorrect and misleading, tended to pave way for rotational manipulation, openly negating the well-accepted rotation and flagrantly offending the tradition.
“However, this has been abrogated by the 1980 declaration as registered on January 28, 1980 which has left the room of contest open to the four ruling houses aside that it technically tilts production of the new Ooni of Ife in favour of Lafogido ruling house (as Giesi had already conceded its own turn to Ogboru in 1980).
“Historically, Ife ruling houses are mainly only two and not four. These are Lajodogun and Lafogido (both were the two children of Ooni Lajamisan). For record purpose and emphasis, Ooni Oranmiyan begat Ooni Lajamisan.
“However, it is incontrovertible to state that over time, one of the two major dynasties, that is: Lajodogun has been split into three separate ruling houses which are the Ogboru, Osinkola and Giesi, while the other dynasty, Lafogido, has remained only one, indivisible dynasty, on the other hand.
“Abewela royal family wish to state that several efforts were made to redress this glaring imbalance and these resulted in setting up of a commission of inquiries of 1957, 1977 and 1986 respectively. But regrettably, all effort to get justice were politically thwarted by the then powers that be,” he said.
Meanwhile, the move for the Ooni stool within Giesi ruling house, yesterday took another dimension as a prominent figure with in the house, Prof. Aderibigbe Adekanye, alleged threat to his life over his stand that Dr. Rahman Adedoyin does not belong to Giesi.
Adekanye, who spoke at the meeting of the ruling house held at Agbedegbedue lane, Moore, also promised that Giesi will present a credible candidate to the kingmakers.
The university teacher, who was with the members of the committee and sub-committee saddled with the responsibility of verifying all names already submitted as contestants from Giesi, said he had been repeatedly threatened because he noted that Adedoyin was not from Giesi.
According to him: “A man has been parading himself as a member of Giesi ruling house and you journalists have been echoing it.He is not a member of this house. His name is Rahman Adedoyin. He is not a member of Giesi.