BETWEEN OONI OGUNWUSI AND OBA SAHEED ELEGUSHI

Fate decides filial ties but every man enjoys the rare privilege to choose his friends. When friendship gets so keen it arouses awe and suspicions of the hidden hand of fate, amity fades into fable and history makes remarkable inscriptions on the timeless tablet of providence and truth. Hence it could be sheer chance or fate that cast the lots of His Royal Majesty ( HRM), Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife; and

Oba Saheed Elegushi of Ikate land, Lagos, together like flipsides of a double- headed coin. Besides sharing kindred spirit, the two monarchs epitomise a rare bond of friendship to their personal delight and amazement of their closest family, friends, business associates and kingdoms. More significantly, they share dashing similarities that attest to the likelihood of fate’s hidden hand in the aces that characterise their lives.

First, they are both young and in the same age group; Ooni Ogunwusi is over 40 years old while Oba Elegushi is equally over 40 years. Second, Ooni Ogunwusi has a big brother, Tunji who he beat to the throne while Oba Elegushi also beat his elder brother, Adedeji, to the much coveted stool of Ikate land.

Third, they are both into property and real estate business; prior to their ascendance of the throne, they both ran separate and profitable business enterprises.

Fourth, Ooni Ogunwusi loves very fair ladies while Oba Saheed Elegushi appreciates elegant ladies. They both love to have fun; they are unrepentant rocker fellas and socialites. And their friendship goes way back into time.

More importantly, both monarchs share a hassle- free view of life. Prior to their ascension to the throne, they conducted themselves as men who understood that it was time’s glory to crown contending kings and hasten their ascension to the throne even as familiar challengers and pretenders to power, stirred up strife within their clans; ultimately, they paid no heed to the resonant songs of mischief chanted by their opposition to the throne. And even after they ascended the throne, Oba Elegushi and Ooni Ogunwusi carry on as monarchs and men with unimpeachable equanimity of spirit and grace.

They have parted the dark pall of pandemonium that marked their jostle for the royal stool, to let in candid streams of light. So doing, the world gets to know and see of the two monarchs, bosom friends and men, the glory, the jest and riddle of power. And of all the contenders, his path to the throne looks garlanded with hope and the patronage of beneficent time.