Ooni of Ife Looking for My Downfall, Iwo Traditional Ruler Alleges

Adedayo Adejobi

The Paramount Ruler of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has disclosed the vital role God used him to play in the installation of Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, as the Ooni of Ife. He however alleged that the Ooni has been plotting his downfall.

Akanbi who made the allegation in an interview with journalists yesterday, argued that the link he used for Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi would have been used for his elder brother, Tunji Adeyeye, who was his friend and peer at Akobo, Ibadan at a tender age.

Oluwo of Iwo Kingdom revealed he utilised the link for the current Ooni of Ife because Tunji underrated his status then. 

The monarch said he was called by a close ally of the Ogunwusi, Akin Daodu who put Adeyeye Ogunwusi on the phone. 

In his words, “We later arranged for a meeting at Base I Hotel in Ibadan, Oyo State where I finalised everything.”

“In 2015, I got a call from Akin Daodu, a close ally to the then Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi, now Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi. He told me Prince Adeyeye was on the phone, that he needs to talk and seek my help on his aspiration to the throne of Ooni of Ife. I told Akin Daodu that I’m not aware they have chosen Ooni designate. I acknowledged my affinity with the family because we stayed around the same place at Akobo, Ibadan before I travelled. I knew him then but I’m closer to his brother, Tunji Ogunwusi who was my peer then. Both myself and Tunji Ogunwusi popularly called Dodo were about 8-year older than him”

“As a friend and peer, I’ve earlier called Tunji Ogunwusi but he underrated me. Maybe because I’ve sought his help before I got an authentic link, he refused to take me seriously.

“When he was on the phone, he begged to see me face to face for indepth discussions. I said he can’t travel to Osogbo where I stayed then because of the fragile security sensing the peak of his aspiration. I travelled to Base I hotel, Ibadan to meet him. We discussed and he disclosed almost all the stakeholders including the governor have agreed but there is a litigation in court instituted by a few aggrieved people. He said his primary concern is court litigation. I asked him if that is all, he said yes. I told him he is already a king”

“In his presence, I called the person in charge and I told the person 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 did his own before my own. And a few months later, God used the same link for me to become Oluwo of Iwoland”

“To my surprise, the same person I helped to the throne has been planning evil against me. He orchestrated my suspension from the Osun State Council of Oba’s meeting against the AIG who was a star witness at what transpired. He is using a few kings in Iwoland to destabilise my territory. He attacked me last month in the presence of the Governor that I’m discouraging deity worshipping. He was part of those who used my former wife against me. He wants me to be removed as Oluwo by all means. Such is a dream that can never come through. No one can remove me as Oluwo. No one can kill me and no one can bring me down. Except I’m not the one who helped him ascend the throne as Ooni”

“He should keep trying. He will be the one to live to regret, his cohorts that have tried it in the past failed.”