Ooni Sijuwade’s era ends, focus shifts to succession

By Leke Adeseri, South West Regional Editor

The mandatory seven-day mourning period for the late Ooni Okunade Sijuwade ends today ending the burial formalities of the immediate past Ooni of Ife.
Attention therefore has shifted to the succession formalities which has kicked off in Ile-Ife.

An insider in the Ife ruling house expected to fill the vacant stool was quoted as saying a selection process was already under-way and that those desirous of the revered position have been asked to formally indicate interest.

There are four ruling houses in Ile-Ife – Lafogido, Giesi, Ogboru, and Oshikola.

Oba Sijuwade, who reigned between 1980 and 2015, is of the Ogboru royal lineage.

The next Ooni will most likely emerge from the Giesi ruling house which last produced an occupant to the position – Ooni Derin Ologbenla – between 1880 and 1894.

The other royal houses have also taken turns to produce Obas for the ancient town at various times.
The Ogboru lineage produced Oba Adelekan Olubuse I, who reigned between 1894 and 1910, with the Lafogido ruling house producing his successor, Oba Ademuluyi Ajagu (1910-1930).

Oba Sijuwade’s predecessor, Adesoji Aderemi, who reigned between 1930 and 1980, came from the Oshikola ruling house.

Believing that it is their right to produce the next Ooni, members of the Giesi ruling house have begun a flurry of activities they expect would culminate in one of them succeeding Mr. Sijuwade.

They were said to have met last Saturday, at the Akodi Agbedegbede family house in Ile-Ife, by a source who craved anonymity.

Royal lineage

According to the source who attended the meeting, presided over by Pa Aderibigbe, a 91-year old elder in the ruling family, it was well attended by hundreds of princes, princesses and elders of the royal lineage.

“The meeting, called only after the formal announcements by the Ife chiefs, was in respect to the laws and tradition of the royal families, our source said.

“Tributes were paid to the long and happy reign of Oba Alayeluwa Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse II and prayers were said for the repose of his soul with his fore fathers.”

He said at the meeting, the elders of the Giesi ruling house “announced and affirmed that the time is now for the process of filling the gap created in the Kingship of Ile-Ife to commence”.

The legal process and content of the law that guides the selection of the Ooni was publicly presented to all the princes and princesses present, he said.

He added, “First it was established that Giesi ruling house is set and in-turn to produce the next Ooni of Ile-Ife. Secondly, it was communicated as stated in the law, that 14 days from when the vacancy occurred, the ruling house is obliged to make a presentation of candidate(s) to the local government.

“Thereafter it was communicated that the basis of the selection will be from male children who are offspring of both male and female children of Giesi ruling house.

“An invitation was given to all interested princes of Giesi ruling house to obtain and complete the prescribed form, return the form to the family within the next couple of days after which they will be screened. Elders then screen and select as many as they feel comfortable with.

“Post screening, the names will be submitted to the kingmakers within a period of 14 days from the vacancy of the stool. The kingmakers make consultations with the oracle before forwarding their approved list to the local government.

“The emergence of the Ooni will depend on how quickly the oracle selects the appropriate occupier to the throne of Ife.

“This is the correct process and procedure and nobody is precluded.”

Ademiluyi Royal Family seeks equity in choice of Ooni

Meantime, the Ademiluyi Royal Family of the Ile-Ife Ruling House of Lafogido under the leadership of Prof. Adetunji Ademiluyi has prayed for divine guidance on the part of the King makers and the state government in the selection of Oba Okunade Sijuade’s successor and that equity will make the process a whole lot easier in addition to the hope that adherence to the strict traditional norms should be followed.

The family called for a sober reflection on the achievements and gains of his relatively long reign of which missed the 35th year mark by a few months. Reference was made of the glorious 50 year reign of his predecessor, Oba Titus Martins Tadeniawo Adesoji Aderemi who made history in

Africa as the first black Governor. Sijuade was said to have been a worthy successor as he fit into the great shoes left behind by Aderemi with ease. Under the late Ooni’s watch, Ile-Ife re-affirmed its presence on the global map with gargantuan strides being made in every sphere of human endeavour. A high point of his reign was the fact that a demographic survey conducted a few years ago rated Ife as one of the fastest growing areas in the whole of the South-Western part of Nigeria.

The late Ooni not only superintended over remarkable socio-economic transformation but left behind a worthy legacy of peace, stability, progress and unprecedented prosperity in the land regarded as the ancestral home of the Yoruba nation both at home and in the diaspora. His vision was extolled to the High Heavens and there was the general acknowledgment that the sustenance of his legacies will be a very hard nut to crack.