The Origbo Traditional Rulers, comprising His Royal Majesty Oba Adesoji Kehinde Oladepo (Salu of Edunabon), HRM Oba Mufutau Babawale Oyekanmi (Alasipa of Asipa), HRM Oba (Dr.) Meshach Oyewole Oyediran (Olulamokun of Yakooyo), and HRM Oba Oluwabusola Oloyede (Alakinlalu of Akinlalu), have issued a three-day ultimatum to the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, demanding that he retract his unguided, libelous, and false allegation against the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II.
The monarchs, in a communiqué signed and released through their lawyer and made available to journalists on Friday, condemned the allegation made by Oba Akanbi that the Ooni conspired with the Oluwo’s former wife to poison him.
They stated that since the Oluwo had failed to substantiate his claims against the Permanent Chairman, Osun State Council of Obas, and Co-Chairman, National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, they were left with no choice but to seek redress.
“Ordinarily, we would have chosen not to dignify the Oluwo’s reckless statement with a response. However, for the sake of clarity and the integrity of the Yoruba traditional institution, our legal representatives have been instructed to write him formally, demanding proof of his claims with verifiable evidence or face appropriate legal action on behalf of the Ooni,” the communiqué read in part.
The Origbo traditional rulers have therefore given Oba Akanbi three (3) days to publicly retract his statement in three national dailies : The Nation, Nigerian Tribune and The Punch as well as across all major social media platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and TikTok. They warned that failure to comply within the stipulated period would compel them to take legal action against the Oluwo for defamation of character and desecration of the revered stool of Oduduwa.
The monarchs further reminded the Oluwo of the historical link between Iwoland and Ile-Ife, emphasizing that the Oluwo is a descendant of Luwo Gbagida, the 24th Ooni of Ife. They asserted that this lineage is a clear indication of the Ooni’s ancestral and cultural supremacy within the Yoruba race.
“Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi is a superior and divine monarch in Yorubaland whose name cannot be dragged into the mud or dressed in a ‘borrowed robe’ by any king, no matter his status,” they stated.
It would be recalled that the Origbo Traditional Rulers, under the Ife North Chieftaincy Committee, had earlier, on Thursday, October 2, 2025 in Edunabon, given Oba Akanbi a 21-day ultimatum to either file a suit against the Ooni or petition the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to substantiate his allegation.
Having failed to take any action within that period, the Ife North monarchs have now resolved to give the Oluwo a final three-day grace period to tender a public apology and retraction or face the full weight of the law.
