The Ile-Ife kingmakers have put to rest the conflict regarding the appropriate ruling house to produce the next Ooni of Ife, disclosing that the new paramount ruler would emerge from the Giesi ruling house.
They also stated that the new Ooni would emerge in the next 42 days.
The succession battle began after the death of Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuade, at a London clinic on July 28.The Obalufe of Iremo, Folorunso Omisakin, told journalists at the Ooni’s palace on Monday that a letter had been written to the Giesi family to forward their candidates. He said the selection would be done according to the order of the Ooni Chieftaincy Declaration of 1980. The Obalufe noted that it was the turn of the Giesi to produce the Ooni, urging the other ruling houses to wait for their turn.
“We, the 16 traditional rulers making up kingmakers according to Ife traditional rules and customs, hereby unanimously declare and affirm and confirm that 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration is the one in existence now and we affirm as follows.
“Section 19, Sub section a (3) [says] that it is the turn of the Giesi Ruling House to present a candidate/candidates for the vacant stool of the Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy.”
Mr. Omisakin pleaded with the people of the town, as well as all religious bodies to maintain peace. The other ruling houses are Osinkola, Ogboru, and Lafogido families who had at different times in the past produced the Ooni of Ife.
The declaration of the Kingmakers was long awaited after candidates from other ruling houses, including Ogboru ruling house, which produced the immediate-past Ooni, began to agitate for the stool.
Their agitation was seen by observers as against the established order, which pointed to the Giesi ruling house as the next in turn to produce the traditional ruler. There are four ruling houses in Ile-Ife – Lafogido, Giesi, Ogboru, and Oshikola.
Oba Okunade Sijuwade, who reigned between 1980 and 2015, is of the Ogboru royal lineage. The Giesi ruling house last produced an occupant to the position – Ooni Derin Ologbenla – between 1880 and 1894.
The other royal houses have also taken turns to produce Obas for the ancient town at various times.
The Ogboru lineage produced Oba Adelekan Olubuse I, who reigned between 1894 and 1910, with the Lafogido ruling house producing his successor, Oba Ademuluyi Ajagu (1910-1930).
Oba Sijuwade’s predecessor, Adesoji Aderemi, who reigned between 1930 and 1980, came from the Oshikola ruling house. But the Adetipe family from the Amodo clan of the Ogboru ruling house curiously said it had already submitted an expression of interest for the Ooni stool, saying Oba Sijuwade’s time on the throne should not be counted for the Ogboru ruling house.
The development had raised the tempo of the contest for the traditional stool, with fears that getting a new traditional ruler for the ancient town might not be tension and crisis-free after all.
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