New Ooni to emerge in 42 days - Kingmakers

The Ile-Ife kingmakers on Monday declared that a new Ooni of Ife will emerge in less than six weeks as they confirmed that it is the turn of the Giesi Ruling House to ascend the throne.

                                                   Late Ooni, Oba Sijuwade 

 

Addressing a press conference at the Ooni’s palace in Ife on Monday, the head of the kingmakers who is also the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Folorunso Omisakin said with the commencement of necessary rites that would culminate into the installation of the next Ooni, the would-be Oba shall be announced within 42 days.

He noted that the 16 kingmakers unanimously agreed on Giesi Ruling House based on the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration, which, he insisted, now superseded the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration.

 

According to him, the same 1980 Chieftaincy Declaration produced the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade who died recently and advised the other three ruling houses including Osinkola, Ogboru and Lafogido to abide by the declaration.

"We the 16 traditional rulers making up kingmakers, by Ife traditional rules and customs hereby unanimously declare and affirm that the 1980 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration is the one in existence now and we affirm that according to Section 19 subsection A (3), it is the turn of the Giesi Ruling House to present a candidates for the vacant stool of Ooni of Ife Chieftaincy," Oba Omisakin said.

Oba Omisakin also assured that all the processes leading to the final choice of a new Ooni would be strictly based on Osun State chieftaincy laws as well as the culture and tradition of the land.

He, however stressed that the new Ooni must be a man of good character, possesses relative ability and enjoys the support of the kingmakers and Ife people and must be conversant with the culture and tradition of the land.