- The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has accused the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, of conspiring to remove him from power
- The monarch alleged that Oba Ogunwusi was responsible for his suspension from the Osun State Council of Obas
- However, the Ooni’s palace dismissed the accusations, stating that Oba Akanbi had made similar statements in the past
Iwo, Osun state - The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has accused the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, of plotting his removal despite his alleged past assistance in securing the Ooni's throne.
Oba Akanbi in a video sighted by Punch claimed he played a pivotal role in Oba Ogunwusi’s emergence as the Ooni in 2015, only to later face orchestrated attempts to undermine his position.
The Oluwo alleged that the Ooni was behind his suspension from the Osun State Council of Obas some years back, stating that Oba Ogunwusi had been actively working against him.
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Oluwo shares details of alleged past support to Ooni
Oba Akanbi, speaking during a Ramadan lecture in Iwo, said he had intervened in a legal dispute that could have prevented Oba Ogunwusi’s ascension.
According to him, a close associate of the Ooni, Akin Daodu, facilitated their interaction, leading to his support for the Ooni’s candidacy.
“In 2015, I received a call from Akin Daodu, a close ally of Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi,” the Oluwo recounted.
“We discussed, and he (Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi at the time) disclosed that almost all the stakeholders, including Governor Aregbesola, had agreed to his appointment, but there was a court case instituted by a few aggrieved individuals against him. He said his primary concern was the litigation. I asked him if that was all, and he said yes. I told him he was already a king.
“In his presence, I called the person in charge and told them what I wanted. The case was decided on Friday, and Adeyeye became Ooni on Saturday," the monarch claimed.
Oluwo accuses Ooni of undermining him
Oba Akanbi accused the Ooni of using local traditional rulers to destabilise his authority.
"He orchestrated my suspension from the Osun State Council of Obas meeting," Oluwo further alleged.
“He is using a few kings in Iwoland to destabilise my territory. He attacked me last month in the presence of the governor, saying that I am discouraging idol worship. He was part of those who used my former wife against me.
“He wants me to be removed as Oluwo by all means. Such a dream can never come true. No one can remove me as Oluwo. No one can kill me, and no one can bring me down, except if I didn’t help him become the Ooni.”
Ooni of Ife's palace responds, denies allegations
Reacting to the claims, the Ooni’s palace dismissed the allegations. Chief Moses Olafare, the Ooni’s media director, said:
“This is not the first time Baba Oluwo has made such comments. We never reacted before, and we won’t react now. Ooni is focused on developmental projects and has no time for distractions.”
Oluwo backs Shariah court in southwest
In another report, the Oluwo of Iwo strongly defended the right of Muslims in the southwest to adopt Sharia law, asserting that no government can deny them this constitutional right.
Oba Akanbi’s comments came in response to mixed reactions over the planned inauguration of a Sharia Court in Oyo state.
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The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, Oyo state chapter, had announced that a Sharia court would be inaugurated in Oyo town and surrounding areas in January 2025.
