A superiority battle between and among traditional rulers is not a new phenomenon.

Interestingly, such battles are usually entangled in historical dichotomy.

In Yoruba land, such rivalry existed between the former Ooni of Ife, the late Oba Olubuse Sijuwade and Alaafin of Oyo, the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, till the two joined their ancestors.

This rivalry has never been heard to exist between the Ooni and any other traditional ruler within the Osun division in the old Oyo State or the Osun State Council of Obas.

But since mounting the throne of Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi has picked several battles against the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, publicly, which the latter ignored.

A few months after his inauguration as the Oluwo, Oba Akanbi pitched his tent with the late Oba Adeyemi, proclaiming his superiority even though Oba Ogunwusi had visited the former on the need for unity in Yoruba land.

Oluwo would, at any slightest opportunity, praise the Alaafin over the Ooni, whom he described as the rallying point for the Yoruba race.

In 2018, the Oluwo, at a council of traditional rulers, alleged that ?The bodyguard of the Ooni of Ife, in what seemed to be an errand message, pushed Oluwo at the public gathering of the first-class paramount rulers held at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt in Rivers State.?

But the Ooni?s palace, in a statement by Moses Olafare, described the incident as untrue.

Olafare said: ?Kabiyesi Ooni went to make his speech in his capacity as a co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers.

?On his way back to the seat right beside the representative of the President, General Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), on sighting Oluwo, who had come to the high table to take pictures with some dignitaries while the programme was still ongoing, the Ooni waited for some minutes to allow Oluwo leave the way to his seat.?

Later, the Oluwo publicly claimed that an Iwo prince could become the Ooni of Ife, owing to the tracing of Oluwo lineage to Oduduwa himself.

He also asserted that Oluwo?s throne is ancient and unconquered.

Similarly, in 2020, the Iwo monarch disrespected the Ooni after he was handed a six-month suspension from the Council of Obas as a result of his fight with another traditional ruler.

The Oluwo described his suspension as null but later accepted his fate.

However, the most recent of his controversial battles with the Ooni was the allegation that Oba Ogunwusi was plotting his removal after helping to get him on the throne.

Oluwo, in a worded statement, alluded that he is eight years older than the Ooni and that he is a friend of the monarch?s elder brother.

He said: ?I acknowledge my affinity with the family because we stayed around the same place at Akobo, Ibadan before I travelled. I knew him then but I?m closer to his brother, Tunji Ogunwusi who was my peer then. Both myself and Tunji Ogunwusi popularly called Dodo, were about 8 years older than him.?

Reacting to Oluwo?s outburst, the Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ekiti, Oba Akinwande Ogundana, has appealed to the Osun State Government and other stakeholders to caution the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Rasheed Adewale, against making unpleasant and derogatory statements.

Oba Ogundana said: ?The Oluwo should be called to order to stop making derogatory remarks that are detrimental and inimical to the revered Royal stool of Ooni of Ife and any other religious institution as recognised and enshrined in the country?s constitution.?

The monarch reminded the Oluwo that before the colonial era, Nigeria was inhabited by various ethnic groups, each with its own culture, language, and religion.

Adeleke warns Osun monarchs against creating discord

Also, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has warned traditional rulers in the state not to engage in actions capable of causing acrimony in the state.

Perhaps reacting to the brickbat between the Ooni of Ife and the Oluwo of Iwo, Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, described traditional rulers as symbols of harmony and mediators during crisis and, hence, should not be involved in acts capable of causing discord in the state.

According to him, traditional rulers across the state should foster peace and refrain from actions that could trigger discord or public confrontations.

He said: ?Our royal fathers are the age-long custodians of peace and unity in their towns and villages. They are symbols of harmony and serve as grassroots mediators. ?Whenever we are faced with governance challenges, we often turn to our royal fathers for guidance and intervention.

?The State Council of Traditional Rulers recently hosted me for discussions on critical state matters. That council is too vital to allow internal disputes to spill into the public domain.

?We cannot afford a situation where royal fathers are seen openly fighting one another. Left unchecked, such conduct may fuel communal tension.

I urge our revered monarchs to be mindful of their public utterances in the interest of unity and peaceful coexistence across the state.? (Vanguard)

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