The landmark judgment on Ora-Igbomina chieftaincy tussle delivered by the Supreme Court on September 1, 1995, was originally received at face value by many. Only a few could read between and beyond the lines concerning the deeper significance of the judgment.

Originally, the judgment appeared to confirm and affirm the claim of Asaooni as the only Oba entitled to wear the beaded crown in Ora-Igbomina and Akesin as one of the chiefs of Asaooni in Ora-Igbomina.

But reading between the lines revealed a deeper significance of the judgment. And this revelation could be the reason why some powerful obas and some personalities have been working hard in recent past and currently to suppress the spirit and letters of the landmark Supreme Court judgment.

The crucial hidden issue is this: From the cradle, the supreme position of Ile-Ife and that of the Ooni of Ife in Yoruba land was only established through oral and written historical documentation scattered all over local and international archives.

It was the historical battle between Asaooni and Akesin which ended at the Supreme Court that led Asaooni's sons and daughters to dig out many of these historical facts from local and international sources about Ile-Ife and the origin of beaded crown-wearing in Yoruba land.

After the historical investigation that spanned over forty years, there was important revelation that Ile-Ife is the only source and origin of traditional connection for anyone to wear the beaded crown in Yoruba land.

This was the historical test and conditionality which Asaooni and Akesin were subjected to before the Supreme Court of Nigeria. As revealed by the September 1,1995 Supreme Court judgment, it was established that only Asaooni has historical connection with Ile-Ife and, consequently, he is only the authorised king entitled to wear the beaded crown in Ora-Igbomina while Akesin lineage was discovered to have no historical connection to Ile-Ife and was consequently prohibited from wearing a beaded crown in Ora-Igbomina.

This judgment by Supreme Court not only codified but also legalized Ile-Ife and the Ooni of Ife as the only historical connection anyone could have to wear beaded crown in Yoruba land.

Naturally, some first-class traditional rulers in the land and their political collaborators are not comfortable with this landmark judgment; hence they ganged up with Akesin to suppress the judgment by all means.

The late Oba Okunade Sijuade later discovered the deeper implications of this historical judgment for Ile-Ife and Yoruba history and he was to take steps towards the institutionalisation of the judgment, but his death put a temporary stop to this.

Therefore, there is the need to present this judgment anew to the current Ooni of Ife as his personal judgment. It is not only Asaooni’s judgment but Ile-Ife judgment.

This is the hidden significance of the September 1, 1995 Supreme Court judgment of Ora-Igbomina Chieftaincy tussle, which should never be allowed to die as a fitting tribute to the memories of all those who had worked conscientiously to establish this truth. The Supreme Court judgment is the final of the finality in our land.

•Comrade Adeniyi, a human rights activist, could be reached via +2348038591504; +2348022591504.

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