The feud between two prominent Yoruba monarchs has escalated, as traditional rulers in Origbo, Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, over his explosive claims that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, plotted to kill him through his estranged wife, Chanel Chin.
At a press conference held on Thursday at the Palace of Salu Edunabon, the monarchs condemned the Oluwo’s outburst as “criminal, defamatory and unbecoming of a traditional ruler,” warning that they were prepared to drag him before a court of law if he fails to retract the statement.
Speaking on behalf of the monarchs, HRM Oba Adesoji Kehinde Oladepo, the Salu of Edunabon and Acting Chairman of the Ife North Chieftaincy Committee, declared:
> “The Oluwo has 21 days to write to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to substantiate his allegations or retract them publicly. Failure to do so will leave us with no choice but to take legal action against him at the expiration of this ultimatum.”
The joint communiqué, signed by Oba Oladepo; HRM Oba Alhaji Mufutau Babawale Oyekanmi, the Alasipa of Asipa; HRM Oba Dr. Mesharch Oyewole Oyediran, the Olulamokun of Yakoyo; and HRM Oba Pastor Oluwabusola Oloyede, the Alakinlaalu of Akinlaalu, reaffirmed their loyalty to the Ooni of Ife.
> “No amount of unruly conduct from the Oluwo of Iwo can diminish the supremacy of the sacred stool of Oduduwa,” the statement added.
The traditional rulers accused Oba Akanbi of consistently bringing the revered institution of Yoruba kingship into disrepute, citing his past six-month suspension from the Osun State Council of Obas after allegedly assaulting the Agbowu of Ogbaagba during a peace meeting. That suspension, they noted, had been ratified by the Ooni of Ife in his capacity as Chairman of the Council.
Oluwo’s Explosive Allegations
The storm was triggered by a viral Instagram video in which Oba Akanbi accused the Ooni of setting him up with a woman, his Canadian ex-wife, Chanel Chin, to poison him.
> “This message is for Nigerians, most especially the Yorubas,” the Oluwo declared in the video. “I helped Ooni Adeyeye to become a king, but because he’s worshipping an idol and I serve God Almighty, he plotted my downfall. Then they packaged a woman for me from Canada as a set-up.”
The monarch claimed that the woman was sent into his palace as “an agent of death.
> “She poisoned me two times. They attempted assassination. She was in my house for three years, asking suspicious questions, and even had a child, which I don’t know if it’s mine. I will have to confirm through DNA. When I found out the truth and sent her away, it was the Ooni himself who accommodated her. Ask him what he was doing with the lady at the hotel,” the Oluwo alleged.
Challenging the authority of the Ooni to suspend him, Oba Akanbi added:
> “Ooni can never suspend me. Can a paramount ruler suspend another paramount ruler? Never. This fight cannot be resolved. It will continue.”
Rising Tensions in Yoruba Traditional Council
The monarchs of Ife North insist the Oluwo’s conduct is not only disrespectful but also dangerous for the unity of Yoruba traditional leadership.
> “His reckless statements are aimed at ridiculing the institution of traditional leadership in Yorubaland. Such behavior will no longer be tolerated,” they warned.
While the Ooni himself has not publicly responded to the Oluwo’s latest outburst, his allies within the Council of Obas are closing ranks and preparing for legal redress.
The Oluwo of Iwo and Chanel Chin married in 2016, but the union collapsed in 2019. Since then, the relationship has been a recurring source of controversy.
With a possible court battle looming, the rift between the Ooni and the Oluwo appears far from resolution, and Yoruba traditional politics may yet face its fiercest test in years.
