Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Veteran journalist and ace politician, Chief Abiola Ogundokun, has condemned what he called ‘incessant attacks’ on the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, by the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi.
Ogundokun, who hails from Iwo, in Osun State, said in a statement he personally signed and made available to Daily Sun that “The attack against the Ooni of Ife is an attack against all Yoruba in Nigeria and Diasporas.”
He, therefore, called on prominent Nigerians and well-meaning individuals, especially Yoruba leaders to prevail on the Oluwo to stop attacking the Ooni of Ife, who he described as the symbol of the Yoruba race.
He said, “It is unbecoming of a traditional ruler of Oluwo’s status to be disparaging and launching incessant verbal attacks on the Ooni of Ife. This is against the Yoruba tradition and customs.”
Ogundokun also pleaded with Oba Ogunwusi, whom he described as ‘a humble’ traditional ruler, to swallow all the tirades hauled at his person and office by the Oluwo in the interest of the Yoruba nation.
Ogundokun continued, “I plead with Ooni Ogunwusi, as a father to Oluwo, to swallow all the falsehood and attacks being made against him by Oluwo on the social media, television and newspapers in the past one and a half year.”
Referring to the recent meeting of the National Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria (NTRCN) held, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where Oluwo alleged that the security aides of Ooni pushed him (Oluwo), Ogundokun advised that Oluwo should be cautioned for falsehood, attention seeking and tow the path of civility.
Ogundokun said that the Oluwo has for a long time developed the penchant for unwarranted attacks against the Ooni of Ife, citing the coronation ceremony of Onikoyi of Ikoyi where he alleged that the Oluwo accused Oba Ogunwusi of historical distortion.
He also accused Oluwo of launching verbal attacks on the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi as well as Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji, at different times in the past.
Ogundokun, therefore, urged the Oluwo to learn how to be royal and disciplined at all times, just as he advised him to desist from acts that could undermine his position as a first class traditional ruler.