The Ogboru and Osinkola Ruling Houses have rejected the decision of Ife kingmakers to narrow the selection of the next Ooni of Ife to the Giesi Ruling House.
The head of the ruling house, Prince Adenekan Olubuse, said in Osogbo on Tuesday that the family would challenge the decision of the kingmakers.
He, however, said all members of the family would meet on Friday to decide on the next step to take.
Olubuse said, “The decision of the kingmakers is not the final. We reject it. The whole family will meet on Friday and we will decide on the next line of action.”
Also, the sole candidate presented by the Ogboru family, Prince Adeagbo Adefarakan, said he was not perturbed by the proclamation of the kingmakers.
The United Kingdom-based oil magnate said he had not allowed the decision of the kingmakers to stop his preparations for the race to the throne.
Adefarakan said, “We are still on it. We are going ahead with our plans. We are not bothered by what they (kingmakers) have just said.”
He stated that the family had produced the least number of Ooni and it should be their turn now to succeed Oba Okunade Sijuwade, who died in London on July 28.
The Osinkola Ruling House has also rejected the decision of the kingmakers.
The family said they would challenge the decision in court, saying the document which the kingmakers wanted to use was a corrupted one, which could not stand the test of the law.
The Obalufe of Iremo Quarter, Ife, Oba Solomon Omisakin, and other kingmakers had on Monday announced that the Giesi Ruling House would produce the next Ooni.
He said, “We the 16 traditional rulers making up kingmakers by Ife traditional rules and customs hereby unanimously declare and affirm and confirm that 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration is the one in existence now and we affirm as follows:
“Section 19, subection (3) says that it is the turn of Giesi Ruling House to present a candidate/candidates for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy.
“Other three ruling houses, that is, Osinkola, Ogboru and Lafogido should wait for their turns. No ruling house should be restricted to a particular quarter or areas of the town because members of the ruling houses live in different parts of the town.”
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