The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi has refuted claims that he would honour former presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, with a traditional title.
On May 1, 2021, Garba declared that the monarch will bestow the title of Aare Atunluse of Oodua upon him.
Garba tweeted that Ooni found him “worthy of the title of Aare Atunluse Oodua Award of Honor to be conferred on the 3rd World Omoluabi day 1st May 2021.”
A statement by Ooni’s Director of Media and, Moses Olafare, dissociated him from the award.
It said the reports of the award, during the forthcoming World Omoluabi Day Festival in Ile-Ife being organised by Igbinmo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye, were inaccurate.
“While we are not aware of the event as slated, we expected the organisers to have sought and gotten the Ooni’s approval in respect of the award segment of the event.
“We have nothing against Mr. Garba, who is a wonderful young man, or any other person nominated for honors by the World Omoluabi Day Festival organizers, but doing so on behalf of the Ooni without his knowledge and proper approval is sacrilegious and unacceptable.”
Despite Ooni’s fatherly support for the festival so far, the statement said, “We hereby dissociate the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, and the ancient palace of Ife from the said award purportedly in the name of the Ooni.”
