The Governor of the State of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola, has revealed in a brief statement that the kingmakers of Ife had completed the required process and communicated the choice of Prince Ogunwusi to his office for approval as the 51st Ooni of Ife.
He is Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, a 40-year old real estate magnate and prince from the Giesi Ruling House in the town and he takes over from Oba Sijuade, who died on July 28, 2015 in a London hospital.
The emergence of Mr. Ogunwusi as Ooni comes after some ruling houses in the town bickered and even went to court over whose turn it was to produce the next king for the ancient city.
There are four ruling houses in Ile-Ife – Lafogido, Giesi, Ogboru, and Oshikola and Oba Sijuwade, who reigned between 1980 and 2015, is of the Ogboru royal lineage.
The Ogboru family contended that the Giesi ruling lineage should blame itself for conceding its turn to produce an Ooni to the late Oba Sijuwade, saying the concession to the late king was to him as an individual and not to the Ogboru clan as a whole.
Two members of the Lafogido Ruling House also sued Governor Aregbesola, the Obalufe of Ile-Ife, the late Oba Solomon Omisakin and Lowa of Ife, Joseph Ijaodola at an Osun State High Court over the decision to allow only the Giesi Ruling House present candidates for the stool. They asked the court to nullify the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration, saying it was “lopsided, unjust, unconstitutional and unfair.”
The court dismissed the suit, paving the way for the selection of Mr. Ogunwusi as Ooni.
See the Official statement:
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