How Ooni of Ife plotted my suspension over religion, despite my supporting his coming on throne – Oluwo

By KEMI KASUMU

“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.”

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, has accused the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, of plotting his downfall after he (Oluwo) helped him (Ooni) to mount the throne in Ile-Ife.

According to a video cited in a media report on Saturday, Oluwo said he influenced Oba Ogunwusi’s emergence as the Ooni of Ife when he was contesting for the stool in 2015 during the administration of Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola as Governor of Osun State.

However, Oba Akanbi said the Ooni had been orchestrating his removal, alleging that Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi was behind his suspension from the Osun State Council of Obas a few years back.

But Ooni, a known promoter of Isese and idol ideology, dismissed Oluwo’s allegation, even as he said he would not react to it as “it was not the first time Oba Akanbi would be making such a statement.”

Speaking in the video, which his Press Secretary, Ibrahim Alli, confirmed to have emerged from a Ramadan lecture in Iwo on Wednesday March 19, 2025, Oluwo claimed that he helped Oba Ogunwusi settled a (court) case that would have impeded his appointment and installation as the Ooni.

He said Oba Ogunwusi’s ally, Akin Daodu, connected the two of them, disclosing that he would have supported the Ooni’s elder brother, Tunji Ogunwusi, but that he didn’t do that because the latter underrated him.

“In 2015, I got a call from Akin Daodu, a close ally of the then Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi, now Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

“He told me Prince Adeyeye was on the phone, that he needed to talk and seek my help regarding his aspiration to the throne of Ooni of Ife. I knew him then, but I was closer to his brother, Tunji Ogunwusi, who was my peer.

“Tunji Ogunwusi, popularly called Dodo, and I were about eight years older than the Ooni.

“As a friend and peer, I had earlier called Tunji Ogunwusi to help him ascend the throne, but he underrated me and refused to take me seriously.

“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.

“This was before my own enthronement. I was not selfish. I secured his own before mine. And a few months later, God used the same link for me to become the Oluwo of Iwo Land.”

Lamenting the alleged plot against him by Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Oluwo said, “To my surprise, the same person I helped ascend the throne has been planning evil against me. He orchestrated my suspension from the Osun State Council of Obas meeting.

“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.”

However, the Director of Media at the Ooni’s palace, Chief Moses Olafare, said Oluwo’s statement didn’t deserve any reaction.

Olafare said, “This is not the first time Baba Oluwo will make comments like that. We never reacted, and we won’t react. Let him say whatever he wants. That is what he is busy doing. Everybody has something they are busy with.

“That is what Baba Oluwo is busy doing. Ooni is busy with developmental projects, so he is occupied and doesn’t have time to respond to someone looking for attention. We don’t have time for that. Whatever Baba Oluwo likes, let him say. We are not interested.”