Despite repeated denials of the death of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade by the Ife Royal Traditional Council, ruling houses likely to produce his successor have begun to reach out to the kingmakers.
Our correspondent gathered that four ruling houses out of which candidates from two of the ruling houses would be considered, have started discreet moves to position their respective candidates for the exalted position.
The four ruling houses include Osikola, Ogoru, Giesi and Lafogido, but New Mail Online gathered that the next Ooni would likely come from either Giesi or Lafogido ruling house.
One of the sources said the two ruling houses would be favoured because neither of them had not produced an Ooni for about a century as Oba Sijuwade’s predecessor, the late Oba Adesoji Aderemi, came from the Osikola Ruling House while the Ogboru Ruling House produced the late monarch.
Already, our correspondent gathered that members of the ruling houses whose candidates would be considered for the throne had started in house screening of aspirants in readiness for when the race would formally begin.
One of the qualities being considered, according to an informed source, was that the next successor must be able to match the “intimidating credentials” of Oba Sijuwade.
“The next king must be educated, outspoken, exposed and be an outstanding personality that would command respect of all and sundry. He must also be able to use his influence to attract more development to the town,” the source said.
As a way of further dispelling as rumour, the monarch’s death, family source confided in our correspondent in Ife that the scheduled traditional marriage between Oba Sijuwade’s son, Adegbite and Oludolapo Afolasade, daughter of a former Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Remi Olowu, would go ahead as planned on Sunday.
Besides, one of the traditional rites to announce the passage of the Oba, like the cutting of all trees in the palace and that of market places are yet to be cut as royal chiefs in the palace insisted that the monarch is still alive.
“Whenever the trees are cut, it means, the king has joined his ancestor, but now that the trees are yet to be cut, it means that the king is still hale and hearty,” a source said.
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