OSOGBO – There were strong indications
yesterday that Osun State government may this
week announced the new Ooni of Ife amidst
heavy presence of security operatives around the
ancient town.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that as early as 8 am
yesterday, news had gone round the town that
new Ooni may be announced, throwing the town
into expectant mood and frenzy.
Though late Obalufe, Chief Solomon Omisakin,
while addressing the media on the decision of
the kingmakers to stick to the 1980 Ife
Chieftaincy Declaration and narrow search for
new monarch to only the Giesi Ruling House,
inside Ooni’ s palace a little over one month ago,
said new monarch would emerge 40 days from
then.
But the death of Obalufe, who was the most
senior kingmaker and many court cases
instituted by the aggrieved parties in the matter
had made the projection very unlikely.
However, the insinuation that a new Ooni had
been chosen by the kingmakers, only for the
state governor to approve yesterday, sparked
tension in the town.
Lending credence to the insinuations was the
increased presence of security operatives in
strategic places across the town.
At areas like, Moore, Enuwa, Mayfair and
Agbedegbede, heavy police presence was noticed
while fully armed men of Department of State
Security were also seen on streets across Ile Ife.
The Prof. Adekanye Aderibigbe-led screening
panel set up by the Giesi Ruling House, it was
learnt had summited four names to the
kingmakers as candidates to fill Ooni stool.
While details of the four candidates had been
kept from the press, a very reliable source from
Giesi ruling house, said the ruling house was not
unaware of how “the immediate past Ooni, Oba
Okunade Sijuade, elevated the status of the stool
with his enormous influence and wealth beyond
Africa, so Ooni in that moul