Posted on: 06:21 Thu, 25 Feb 2016



The 20th Olu of Warri, Ogiame
Ikenwole I, ascended the throne in
December 2015, following the
passage of his elder brother,
Ogiame Atuwatse II in September
2015.

It is worthy of note that the
Itsekiris whose paramount ruler is
the Olu of Warri have a strong
historical lineage with the Yorubas.
The Itsekiris are believed to be the
ones who carried the Oduduwa
civilization to the Urhobos and the
Ijaws in Delta State.

Penultimate week, the Alake of
Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo,
had listed Yoruba kings in this
order: Ooni of Ife; Alaafin of
Oyo ; Oba of Benin;
Alake of Egbaland(4th) and Awujale
of Ijebuland(5th).

Only the Palace of Oba of Benin has
spoken on this issue that “Ooni of
Ife is Oba of Benin’s son, and that
they are not in the same class”. The
Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi
in a follow-up statement said “I’m
not interested in supremacy battle”.

The Itsekiris however have a
different view from the Binis who
believe that the Ooni of Ife is the
Oba of Benin’s son. The Olu of
Warri made this subtle affirmation
in a 1-page ‘thank-you’ newspaper
message to eminent Nigerians who
graced his coronation ceremony.

Thanking the royal fathers present
and acknowledging the Ooni of Ife
as ‘leading all kings in attendance’,
the first-class monarch said: “All
Royal fathers present led by His
Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye
Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, who
defied all permutations to
personally attend the coronation,
barely a few days after he himself
ascended the ancient throne of our
father Oduduwa.”

Following Ooni of Ife on the list are
the Oba’s Palace and Benin
Traditional Council; the Obi of
Onitsha; the Emir of Kano; the Etsu
Nupe; and other first-class kings.