Foremost royal father in Yorubaland, the Arole Oduduwa and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has accepted the apology tendered by popular Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho.
The revered royal father said Igboho, who apologised on Wednesday in a viral video for declaring that the Ooni disappointed Yoruba nation for allegedly not speaking the truth on herdsmen killings in South West during a recent visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, is forgiven.
Director of Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s palace, Mr Moses Olafare, said Sunday Igboho remains the son of Ooni.
He said: “He has forgiven him as he had tendered an apology via a video clip he produced via social media yesterday evening.
“Before tendering the apology, it was the Olugbon of Ile-igbon that first called and informed Arole Oodua on the phone that he had scolded Sunday on phone on his misdeeds and that, he would soon tender an apology to him on the matter. Sunday Igboho later released a video in which he tendered the apology.
“Even though the way and manner, Sunday behaved was sacrilege to the Oduduwa throne yet he has already apologised and I can confirm that the Arole Oodua has forgiven him, because, there is no perfection in humanity. Sunday is a human being like a normal human being who could misbehave as well”.
He went on: “As the father of all, the Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II remains his father who had even identified with him in the past two weeks he has begun with the struggle and he is still solidly behind him for the liberation of the Yorubas from criminal herdsmen who have adamantly terrorised our land.”
In a viral video on Wednesday evening obtained, Sunday Igboho said he had spoken with the revered royal father on phone and begged him for forgiveness over perceived insult on the Ooni.
Igboho, who denied insulting the monarch, said: “I did not insult the Ooni.
“I have called our father, the Ooni of Ife and I have apologised to him. When I said those things, I was carried away by my emotions.
“The killing of my people by Fulani herdsmen and the way our fathers in Yoruba land are handling the issue is giving me great concerns.
“I am a Yoruba man and I know it is not in our culture to insult the elders. I have called the Kabiyesi and I have apologised to him. You can call him to confirm.
“Once again, I want to beg our royal father to forgive me. It was a slip of tongue,
“But because I was pained by the issue, my tongue was caught up in the moment. I spoke according to how pained I was. It wasn’t the Ooni alone I directed my words at, I also did to other elders.
“It’s a case of father and child. I and the monarch have spoken as well as the Olugbon. I did not insult Ooni. And if it appears as if I did, he should forgive me.”
Also, former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode had earlier begged the royal father to forgive the popular Yoruba rights activist over the slip of tongue.
The activist, who had issued a seven-day quit notice to herdsmen in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State and enforced same, said Oba Ogunwusi failed to convey the pains of the Yoruba people to Buhari during the visit.
But in a series of tweets on Wednesday, Fani-Kayode said: “I just spoke with Sunday Igboho and he confirmed to me that what he said about our revered Ooni of Ife was said in the heat of the moment.
“He expressed his regrets and I was relieved to hear that. To err is human and to forgive is divine. I appeal to Kabiyesi to forgive him.
“For the record, let me state clearly and categorically that no Ooni of Ife, whether living or dead, has ever been a slave of the Fulani and neither will they ever be.”
The Nation
