We won’t concede right to Ooni throne – Lafogido

The Lafogido Ruling House of Ile-Ife in Osun State has dismissed a report that it has conceded the filling of the vacant stool of the Ooni of Ife to the Giesi Ruling House or any other ruling house.

In a statement issued by the head of the ruling house on Tuesday, Sooko Adewoyin, the Lafogido Ruling House said it would never concede its right to produce the next Ooni to any other ruling house.

The statement noted that contrary to the rumours making the rounds, the only authentic chieftaincy declaration of the Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy title was the one gazetted in 1957.

The ruling house said that no other gazette could serve as a reference as far as the selection of the next Ooni of Ife was concerned.

The statement added, “A chieftaincy declaration is like the constitution of a country guiding the conduct of the people and cannot be wished away just like that. The hallucinations from some quarters that it is the turn of the Giesi Ruling House to produce the next Ooni of Ife is just like the noise of a crowded market which nobody must listen to.

For the avoidance of doubt, the order of rotation in the 1957 Gazette is listed in the following manner: (1) Osinkola (2) Giesi (3) Ogboru and (4) Lafogido. It was the turn of the Giesi ruling house to produce the Ooni of Ife in 1980 upon the demise of Oba Adesoji Aderemi who was from the Osinkola Ruling House. But the Giesi Ruling House, for reasons best known to them, conceded the stool to Ogboru Ruling House. The position of the law is very clear on this and that is, that they have to wait for their turn again.”

The Lafogido Ruling House said that it has qualified and prominent sons for the vacant stool.

It listed 16 of such qualified princes from its ruling house to include Oluwole Adebayo Eludoyin, Adetayo Oladele, Prof. Charles A. Adesanmi, Prof. Adeyemi Adebisi, Ade Adefioye, Ajibade Olowoporoku, Aderotimi A. Adefioye and Aderemi Adekunle Okikiade.

Others are Adediran Okikiade, Adedamola Adedotun Layade, Adeleke Adefaranye, Adeposi Adebola Odunle, Adesanya Adefisan, Adekunle Adefioye Abioye, Ademakinwa Solomon and Ahmed Aderoju Adewoyin.

(Punch)