Why Obasanjo Accompanied Ooni Designate

As the new Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi continues with the traditional rites to ascend to his father’s stool, Ife indigenes at home and in the diaspora have continued to jubilate. Read Also: Some Ministers Will Not Have Portfolios-Buhari There have been encomiums not only for the Ooni but also for the kingmakers who have done a great job in choosing a king loved by many people, including prominent Yoruba sons and daughters, home and abroad. On Saturday, Ogunwusi would have spent two days in the inner chamber, a spiritual place called “Ilofi” and at this time nobody would be allowed to see him. However before he entered Ilofi, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo showed up in Ile-Ife with Ogunwusi to pay homage to the chosen one, a king that is believed to be the representative of Oduduwa, the progenitor of Yoruba race. At present, Ooni designate has moved into seclusion at a shrine known as Ilofi where he will spend 21 days as part of preparation for his coronation. At the Ilofi shrine, Ogunwusi will be initiated taken through the rudiments of his duties as the Ooni of Ife after performing series of traditional rites at the shrine. The shrine is located at Iremo in the ancient city and it is about a seven-minute drive from the palace of Ooni of Ife. The coronation of the Ooni-elect would take place after the traditional rites at Ilofi after which the new monarch would be crowned as the paramount ruler of Ile-Ife and assume the title of Ojaja II. Ogunwusi was led to Ilofi shrine by the Isoro priests, kingmakers and traditional chiefs at about 4:35 pm on Thursday. Obasanjo’s coming with Ogunwusi to Ile-Ife to many is normal but to Yoruba traditional rites, it signifies acceptance into the realm of the elders. After 21 days, Ogunwusi will not only be a king, he assumes the position of a deity. The late Ooni Okunade Sijuwade was accompanied by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Bola Ige in 1980