..reveals why Alaafin yet to visit Ooni
Kolade Oladele, the Personal Assistant to the Alaafin of Oyo, Iku Baba Yeye, Oba Abimbola Owoade I, has dismissed insinuations of a cold war between Alaafin and Ooni, stating that there was no rift between the two traditional rulers.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Saturday, Oladele revealed why the monarch is yet to visit the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, during his recent visit to Osun State.
He said Alaafin’s protocol officer had contacted Ooni’s palace to inform them of the visit but was told that Oba Ogunwusi was unavailable.
“We didn’t ignore the Ooni during the visit. We reached out to the palace but was told that Ooni wasn’t around. Ooni’s palace was the first point of call in our initial itinerary, but we had to visit the Oluwo first because of the development,” he said.
He disclosed that Oba Owoade would soon pay an appreciation visit to Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and Ooni.
It would be recalled that Alaafin visited Oluwo on Tuesday, a development that generated controversy over a purported rift between him and Ooni.
The controversy was further fuelled by Oluwo, who declared that Alaafin was superior to all other traditional rulers and titles in Yoruba land.
Meanwhile,
Meanwhile the Director of Media and Public Affairs at Ooni’s palace, Otunba Moses Olafare, said there was no official notification from the Alaafin’s palace about the planned visit to Oba Ogunwusi.
“We were not notified that Alaafin was coming to visit Ooni. Nobody contacted us either through a letter or phone call before Baba travelled out of the country.
“What we got was from one of our security operatives, who informed us that somebody called him from the Alaafin’s palace to ask if Baba was around, and he told the person that we were not around. Everybody knew we were not around. There was no notification or any form of communication suggesting that Alaafin was coming to visit Ooni before we left the country,” he said.
