Abewela Royal House, a branch of the Lafogido Ruling Dynasty, yesterday presented its sole candidate for the Ooni stool. He is Ahmed Aderoju Adewoyin, a lawyer.Addressing reporters, the Sooko of the royal house, Prince David Adeniji, said after the reign of Ooni Adegunle Abewela (1839 -1849), of the two original ruling dynasties (Lajodogun and Lafogido), only one section, i.e. Lajodogun, had produced seven Ooni in quick successions.
He said he was delighted to present Adewoyin as a candidate and assured that “all things being equal, the lopsidedness that has characterised ascendancy to the throne for a while will be addressed, with the installation of the sole candidate from Abewela.”
Prince Adeniji went on: “The family deems it fit to X-ray the ascension to the throne of Ooni in recent time and inform stakeholders, especially Ife high chiefs (i.e. Ife royal traditional council/ kingmakers) of the selection processes of a new candidate for the highly-revered Ooni stool to allow the dictate of justice, equity and fairness prevail in the selection of a new Ooni.
“Abewela Royal Family is not oblivious of the order of rotation of the ruling houses as set out in the chieftaincy declarations regarding the method of selection of the Ooni.
“By virtue of the 1957 declaration registered on June 7, the Giesi Ruling House conceded its turn in favour of the Ogboru Ruling House (which consequently produced the late Ooni Okunade Sijuwade in 1980). This also led to the emergence of the 1977 declaration, which order of rotation, besides being incorrect, misleading and tended to pave the way for rotational manipulation, negates the well-accepted rotation and flagrantly offends the tradition.
“However, this has been abrogated by the 1980 declaration as registered on January 28, 1980, which has left the room of contest open to the four ruling houses besides that it technically tilts the production of the new Ooni in favour of the Lafogido Ruling Dynasty (as Giesi conceded its own turn to Ogboru in 1980).
“Historically, Ife ruling houses are mainly only two and not four. These are Lajodogun and Lafogido (both were the two children of Ooni Lajamisan). For record purpose and emphasis, Ooni Oranmiyan begat Ooni Lajamisan.
“However, it is incontrovertible to state that over time, one of the two major dynasties, that is, Lajodogun, has been split into three ruling houses viz: Ogboru, Osinkola and Giesi. The other dynasty, Lafogido, has remained only one, indivisible dynasty.
“Abewela Royal Family wishes to state that efforts were made to redress this imbalance and this resulted in the setting up of a Commission of Enquiry of 1957, 1977 and 1986. But efforts to get justice were politically thwarted by the then powers that be.
“It is worrisome that after the reign of Ooni Adegunle Abewela (1839 -1849), of the two original ruling dynasties (Lajodogun and Lafogido), only one section, i.e. Lajodogun, has produced seven Ooni in quick successions, namely 43rd Ooni Derin Kumbusu (1849 – 1878) from Giesi, 44th Ooni Orayigba (1878 – 1880) from Giesi, 45th Ooni Derin Ologbenla (1880 -1894) from Giesi, 46th Ooni Adelekan Olubuse I (1894 – 1910) from Og 47th Ooni Adekola (June 1910 to July 1910) from Osinkola, 49th Ooni Adesoji Aderemi (1930 – 1980) from Osinkola and 50th Ooni Okunade Sijuwade (1980 to 2015) from Ogboru.
“While the other dynasty, Lafogido Ruling House, produced only one, that is, the 48th Ooni Ajagun Ademiluyi (1910 to 1930).
“Without mincing words and from the above analysis, it is evident that this is a pointer to the magnitude of the age-long lopsidedness, political manipulations and injustice meted out to the Abewela Royal House (under Lafogido Ruling Dynasty). “It will only be fair, just and equitable to decide that the appropriate royal house to produce the 51st Ooni is Abewela Royal House (under Lafogido Ruling Dynasty).”
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