{"id":16125,"date":"2017-04-27T17:29:10","date_gmt":"2017-04-27T16:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/?p=16125"},"modified":"2017-04-27T17:29:10","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T16:29:10","slug":"ooni-ife-oba-lagos-controversy-nigeria-traditional-ruler-snub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/ooni-ife-oba-lagos-controversy-nigeria-traditional-ruler-snub\/","title":{"rendered":"Ooni of Ife, Oba of Lagos – Controversy in Nigeria over traditional ruler ‘snub’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A video clip apparently showing the traditional ruler of Lagos snubbing the spiritual leader of the Yoruba people has caused controversy in Nigeria.<\/h3>\n

In the footage, the 73-year-old Oba (king) of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu<\/strong>, appears to rebuff the greetings of the Ooni of Ife<\/strong>, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi<\/strong>, at a public event in the city Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The Ooni, 42, then went quietly to his seat without incident but what appeared to be the oba’s dismissive attitude sparked protests online — and speculation as to what was behind it.<\/p>\n

The Ooni of Ife is the most powerful and influential monarch among the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria, who are the country’s second biggest ethnic group after the Hausa-Fulani.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
Historically, the Ooni or any king in Yorubaland was revered and considered “the sovereign, second in rank to the gods”.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“We want to assume that Oba Akinolu did not realise it was the ooni that greeted him,”<\/em> Yinka Odumakin<\/strong>, of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere<\/strong>, told AFP.<\/p>\n

“Otherwise, we would regard what happened as a sacrilege and an abomination to Yoruba culture.<\/em><\/p>\n

“It’s a taboo that any Yoruba oba would disrespect the Ooni in that manner. It’s not acceptable and is utterly condemnable.”<\/em><\/p>\n

The powers of the Yoruba kings and other traditional rulers were reduced under British colonial rule and their role is now largely ceremonial.<\/p>\n

But they are regarded as custodians of culture and still wield influence on their people in local matters.<\/p>\n

Ogunwusi, from one of the ruling houses in the Ife kingdom, was installed as the 51st ooni in December 2015, succeeding Okunade Sijuade<\/strong>, who ruled for 35 years until his death.<\/p>\n

Before that he made millions as an entrepreneur in real estate and marketing.<\/p>\n

Moses Olafare<\/strong>, the Ooni’s spokesman at his palace in Ile-Ife<\/strong>, said the monarch “has no issues with the Oba of Lagos”.<\/em><\/p>\n

“He is not involved in any rivalry or supremacy contest with any oba in Yorubaland,”<\/em> he added.<\/p>\n

“His mission since he was crowned has been to bring about peace, unity and progress to Yorubaland. He remains very focused and undeterred in this task.<\/em><\/p>\n

“He has visited Oba Akinolu twice since he became king but for reasons best known to him, Oba Akinolu has not deemed it fit to replicate the visit.”<\/em><\/p>\n

No one at the oba’s palace was immediately available to comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A video clip apparently showing the traditional ruler of Lagos snubbing the spiritual leader of the Yoruba people has caused controversy in Nigeria. In the footage, the 73-year-old Oba (king)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1465],"tags":[5742,55,5181],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/ooni7.jpg?fit=1280%2C853&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":46859,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/ooni-ife-oba-akiolu-lagos-reconcile\/","url_meta":{"origin":16125,"position":0},"title":"Ooni of Ife, Oba Akiolu of Lagos reconcile","author":"Reporter","date":"March 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The traditional leader of the Yoruba people, the Ooni of Ife,\u00a0Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu seem to have reconciled after almost a year of alleged frostiness. Barely 3\u00a0weeks after the two seemed to get along well while at\u00a0Aliko Dangote\u2019s daughter\u2019s wedding in Kano, they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ooni1.jpg?fit=540%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ooni1.jpg?fit=540%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/ooni1.jpg?fit=540%2C960&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":148570,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/ooni-re-echoes-yoruba-unity-as-ekiti-moba-awori-indigenes-visit-ife-their-ancestral-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":16125,"position":1},"title":"OONI RE-ECHOES YORUBA UNITY AS EKITI, MOBA, AWORI INDIGENES VISIT IFE, THEIR ANCESTRAL HOME","author":"City People","date":"December 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, on Saturday re-echoed the need for descendants of Oduduwa, Yoruba in particular to be united as members of one big family from the same source in Ile-Ife. Ooni Ogunwusi made the call at his Ile Oodua Palace,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ooni,","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/097df93f-2dc9-4a13-8b3a-218d6be43198.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/097df93f-2dc9-4a13-8b3a-218d6be43198.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/097df93f-2dc9-4a13-8b3a-218d6be43198.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/097df93f-2dc9-4a13-8b3a-218d6be43198.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/097df93f-2dc9-4a13-8b3a-218d6be43198.jpg?fit=1080%2C720&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15917,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/viral-video-moment-when-oba-of-lagos-shuns-ooni-of-ife-at-public-gathering\/","url_meta":{"origin":16125,"position":2},"title":"Viral Video: Moment when Oba of Lagos openly shuns Ooni of Ife at public gathering","author":"Reporter","date":"April 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, at a public gathering not specified, ignored the greeting of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II. 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