Revealed! How Kingmakers Picked Prince Ogunwusi As New Ooni of Ife

 

The  kingmakers on Monday, October 26, defended their choice of Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi as the successor of the late Ooni of Ife.

 

According to them,  they followed due process in making their choice. The Laadin of Ife Traditional Council, Chief Adetoye Olatunde Odewole, said there was no rancour during the process. He invalidated the claims of a ruling house that the process was “faulty and fraudulent”.

 

Odewole told reporters at the outer hall of the Ooni’s palace: “We followed due process by using the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration to pick a candidate from the Giesi Ruling House, which by that declaration is in line to produce the Ooni  after the passing to glory of Oba Okunade Sijuwade. We also consulted Ifa oracle before all of us.

 

Installation rites for the Ooni begin tomorrow in the ancient town.

 

Ogunwusi, 40, was named the 51st Ooni early yesterday by the Osun State government following the kingmakers’ recommendation. He is expected in the town tomorrow following which he will move to Ilofi, for the start of the 21-day ritual that will terminate in his installation.