Ooni Pays Surprise Visit To Owa After Disagreement Over Sitting Arrangement At Osun Monarchs’ Meeting

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Thursday, paid a surprise visit to the Owa Obokun, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, at his palace in Ilesa, Osun State.

Earlier the two monarchs reportedly had a major disagreement over sitting position at the Osun State Council of Obas meeting, which resulted in the monthly meeting being postponed indefinitely to allow tempers to cool down.

According to reports, the Owa, who is vice chairman of the council, refused the advance team of the Ooni to place his (Oba Ogunwusi) seat at a vantage position.

Oba Aromolaran, who was said to have arrived the venue of the meeting earlier, allegedly refused to allow the Ife team place the Ooni’s seat in front of him.

The Ooni is the permanent chairman of the council.

Following the disagreement, Oba Ogunwusi went to visit the Owa at his palace, where he was said to have told Oba Aromolaran that he was not interested in fighting for any position but for peace among Yoruba Obas.

The Ooni was also quoted to have said that “you are one of the prominent traditional rulers in Yorubaland and it is in my own interest and that of the larger Yoruba people to relate very well with the Owa”.

“I have just spent about three months on the throne now while you, Owa, have spent about 34 years.

“It is my responsibility to visit you first because you have been on the throne for long.

“It has been said by God that I should come and liberate Yorubaland and to ensure peace and unity.

“I am not engaging in any leadership supremacy with anybody”, he was quoted as saying during the visit.

In his response, the Owa reportedly told the Ooni that “your visit is a surprise to me and it is the least expected. Now that you have come to show a hand of friendship, I will now join your unity train to unify the Yoruba”.

The Ooni’s Director of Media and Publicity, Moses Olafare, said the Ooni’s position as the council’s permanent chairman was incontrovertible.

Olafare said: “Ooni would not want to be drawn into what happened.

“But he (Ooni) remains the permanent chairman according to law.

“The issue of who becomes the chairman is a creation of law and can only be reversed by law.

“Whoever is not satisfied with the arrangement should either go to court or the House of Assembly, and seek a review of the law”.