The Palace of the Ooni of Ife has strongly condemned a viral video released by The Oyo Legacies that misrepresents the cordial interaction between the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, at the West Africa Economic Summit held in Abuja.
In an official statement signed by the Director of Media & Public Affairs at the Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare, the palace clarified that the Ooni, who holds key positions as Co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria and Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers, arrived early and was seated in the VIP lounge alongside dignitaries.
Contrary to the misleading video, the Alaafin of Oyo approached the Ooni directly in a gesture of respect and friendship, bypassing his allocated seat to greet the Ooni warmly. Both monarchs exchanged pleasantries and light jokes before the Alaafin took his seat. The palace emphasized that both rulers entered the conference hall and were seated according to protocol, with the Ooni leaving the VIP lounge first, followed shortly by the Alaafin.
The palace described the viral video as damaging and misleading, criticizing the media team of the Alaafin for failing to accurately portray their principal’s positive conduct. The statement urged the Alaafin’s media handlers to improve their professionalism and public image management to reflect the monarch’s true character as a man of peace and harmony.
Furthermore, the palace revealed that the Alaafin has already scheduled a visit to the Ooni at Ile-Ife within the week, underscoring the strong relationship between the two traditional rulers.
The Ooni’s Palace called for better training and restructuring of the Alaafin’s media team to prevent further misrepresentations and to promote unity and respect among Nigeria’s traditional institutions.
