Ooni’s successor: Who does the crown fit?

With the burial rites of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, over, the race for the stool has begun. FEMI MAKINDE x-rays the contenders to the coveted throne of the ancient city

contrary to laid-down traditions of the ancient city of Ile-Ife, the news of the death of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, was broken by the media.

For 15 days after the monarch’s demise, the royal traditional council denied all the stories in the media, even when it was obvious the general public was in the know.

The monarch’s death was officially announced last week.

Oba Sijuwade, the Olubuse 11, was a traditional ruler of means who combined glamour with royalty. Obviously, his succession would be keenly contested.

Many factors will determine the selection of the next Ooni: he must be a blue blood, full of charisma, educated, wealthy with a high level of exposure.

Although the selection of the previous Oonis was believed to have been specifically chosen and ordained by the gods, there is another factor in modern times which may influence the determination of the next Ooni.

This new factor is politics.

Governors are believed to have a role to play in whoever emerges monarchs in present day Nigeria. This must have gingered a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South West, Chief Bode George, who is the Atona Oodua of Yoruba land, to issue a warning to former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to steer clear of politicising the selection process with his closeness to the Osun State governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

The PDP leader is of the opinion that the ruling All Progressives Congress in Osun State might want to interfere with the selection process.

Bode George said, “They will play politics with it but it will blow up. They should allow the kingmakers to do their work. If he manipulates the process, he will create a huge problem in Yorubaland. Let him allow the kingmakers do their job. He should not set Yorubaland on fire. Aregbesola should, instead, focus on paying salaries.”

According to the information gleaned by our correspondent on the official website of the Ooni of Ife, there are many descendants of Oduduwa who had ascended the throne and whose lineages are entitled to the crown.

“Olofin Oduduwa had many children who reigned after his death. One of them was Oranmiyan from whom Lajamisan was a descendant. One of his children, Lajodogun, succeeded him as Ooni.

“Lajodoku is the forefather of Lafogido, Ogboru, Giesi and Oshikola. These are the four ruling houses in Ile-Ife. These descendants have reigned in Ile-Ife for the past 400 years and they produced the last 24 Oonis.”

The Ogboru ruling house produced the late Oba Sijuwade.

Some stakeholders say the race for the stool therefore should be between the Giesi and Lafogido ruling houses.

A youth group in the ancient city, known as the Cradle Youths, has urged the kingmakers in the town to follow the 1979 declaration in the selection of the new Ooni in order to ensure fairness to all concerned.

The coordinator of the group, Kunle Elusayo, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo shortly after the demise of the monarch was reported by the media.

He said, “If at all anything happens to the king (death), the declaration made under Section 4 (2) of the Chief Law 1957 of Customary Law Regulating the selection of the Ooni of Ife should be followed strictly.

Rahman Adedoyin

“There are four ruling houses, which have the right to provide candidates for the Ooni stool, and the identity of each of such ruling houses and the order of rotation are as follows: Osinkola House — which produced late Oba Aderemi; Ogboru House, Giesi House and Lafogido House.

“The family whose turn it is to provide a candidate shall be invited in writing to present their candidate or candidates from among whom the kingmakers shall select the most suitable person.”

The group further urged the two persons, who they said were the ones entitled to select the Ooni — the Obalufe, Oba Solomon Omisakin and the Lowa of Ife, Oba Joseph Ijaodola — to, through consultations with right and left chiefs, allow the declaration to reign. He said the declaration was made on September 14, 1979, approved January 20, 1980 and registered January 26, 1980.

A source close to the palace told our correspondent that it is forbidden for the princes to jostle to become the Ooni, especially when the cleansing rites had yet to be completed. He said the cleansing might take as long as three months.

The selection process would not start until after the cleansing.

Sikiru Ayedun

The contestants from the next ruling house would be making their intentions known to the kingmakers underground but they would not come out to let the public know that they are interested in occupying the throne.

However, he said the Pro-Chancellor of the Oduduwa University, Ile Ife, Chief Raman Adedoyin, seems to be positioning himself to ascend the throne after the demise of Oba Sijuwade. Adedoyin is the founder of a university; he is also the founder of a polytechnic in Ife and runs a hotel business as well.

The source also said a former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Osun State, who is a leader of the APC in the state, Sikiru Ayedun, is also hopeful to succeed the late monarch.

The source added that some members of the Ademiluyi ruling family are also in the race to succeed the late Ooni.

He said, “An Ooni is Atobatele and whoever will emerge will not be an obscure person who is struggling to survive. I am sure Ifa oracle would not select such because he would disrupt so many things.

“When the late Ooni ascended the throne in 1980, he was chairman and chief executive of about 100 companies. Whoever wants to succeed him must be a very wealthy person.

“Even if you have N1bn, that does not make you eligible for the throne. It is a small amount compared to what the late Ooni was expending on bills. The late Ooni was feeding about 500 persons everyday. The number was not static because sometimes, it could increase to about 700 and the new king must inherit those dependants too.

“When the chiefs met with the governor on Wednesday to formally announce his death, all that they said about the late monarch being a great philanthropist was true.”

Another source told our correspondent on Thursday that the kingmakers already knew who would succeed Oba Sijuwade even while he was still alive. He said the unnamed, would-be successor of the late monarch also knew, adding that he had started dressing like the deceased for a while now.

He said that no matter how wealthy any of the contestants might be, it was very important for the next monarch to get the backing of the gods to make his reign eventful like his predecessors; otherwise things might not just be right.

Despite all, the next Ooni is supposed to be produced by the Giesi ruling house according to the order of rotation. It was gathered that some princes from other families are also going to throw their hats in the ring.

However, are watching to see who the crown will fit among the many princes who are eligible to sit on the throne of their forefathers in the land regarded by the Yoruba as the Source.