These two kings who are prominent figures in Yoruba history are at loggerheads and not ready to sheathe their swords.
For Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, he isn’t ready to be tossed around by the Ooni of ife. No, not ever.
Also a first class monarch, the sin committed by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, is sacrilegious.
Ooni is the leader of traditional leaders in the southwest.
It is believed that the cold war between the Ooni and the Oluwo is related to age as the latter is about seven years older than the former.
Recall on Sunday, a video of the Ooni went viral on social media where he talked about Oba Akanbi.
The Ooni said, “When I visited Oluwo he chased me out like a child. Since that incident, I have always maintained myself going close to him. Now that you people (attendees) are imploring that I visit him again, what if he does what he likes to me?
“But I have to contain his excesses as an elder, although I am a young person sitting on the throne of the elders. Oluwo, I greet you.”
Meanwhile, the Oluwo spoke through his spokesman Alli Ibrahim on Monday, Oba Akanbi said the video was old and that the Ooni has never been to his palace.
“The trending video is old and that there was never a time Ooni came to the palace. The palace will officially react to the trending video,” he said.
In the same vein, it is believed that Oluwo’s anger towards the Ooni is due to the latter’s engagement with traditional worshippers.
Oba Akanbi frequently says he only believes in God, classifying traditionalists as idol worshippers.
In 2018, the Oluwo alleged that Oba Ogunwusi ordered his bodyguard to push him out of the way during a meeting of traditional rulers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, an allegation which the Ooni denied.
According to Akanbi, the incident happened at Hotel Presidential in the oil-rich city.
He said it occurred just as the Ooni was called to the podium to give a vote of thanks.