Crisis is rocking the selection of a new Ooni of Ife, with two ruling houses, Lafogido and Lami Ogboru m’olodo, heading for court to challenge Ife kingmakers’ choice of Giesi Ruling House to produce the successor of Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

Lafogido and Lami Ogboru m’olodo have faulted the State Government’s preference of Giesi ruling house to produce the new Ooni. Both ruling houses are of the opinion that the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration that formed the basis of the kingmakers’ choice of Giesi is not sacrosanct, but fraudulent, adding that the declaration could no longer stand the test of time.

They contended that the 1976 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration is authentic and must be adopted by the kingmakers to allow the remaining ruling houses to contest for the stool.

Yesterday evening an Osogbo high court granted the the prayer of the Lafogido Ruling House for an injunction restraining the Ife kingmakers and the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesolsa, from allowing the Giesi ruling house from presenting candidates for the vacant stool.

The injunction, which was granted Justice A. A. Aderibigbe, is sequel to a suit filed by the Lafogido ruling house seeking the restraining order against Governor Aregbesola; the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Solomon Omisakin, and the Lowa of Ile-Ife, Chief Joseph Ijaduola, pending the determination of the matter before the court.

The matter, with suit number, HOS/16/2015, was filed on behalf of the Lafogido family by Sooko Bunmi Adegoke and Prince Marcus Adebola Akinmoyero as plaintiffs and Governor Aregbesola, Omisakin and Ijaduola as defendants.

The injunction, a copy of which was made available to reporters, reads in part: “An order of interim injunction is granted restraining the defendants from accepting nomination, selecting candidates or taking any steps whatsoever in the process of selecting the new Ooni of Ife to fill the vacant stool pending the determination of the motion on notice dated September 15, 2015. Returns date shall be Thursday, September 23, 2015.”

The Ife king makers had at Monday’s press conference at the Ooni’s palace asked the Giesi ruling house to commence the process of presenting candidates for the Ooni stool based on 1980 Ife chieftaincy declaration which allowed rotational method for ascendancy to the throne.

•Pieced together from reports in Daily Sun and Vanguard. Photo shows Palace of the Ooni of Ife.

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