Ile-Ife Agog As Ooni-elect Arrives Ancient Town…Obasanjo, Others Receive New Monarch

The ancient town of ile Ife, Osun State, went into a frenzy today as their 40-year-old Ooni-elect, Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi began made a triumphal royal entry into the town preparatory to his installation as the 51st Ooni. He is expected to under go necessary traditional rites before he could be crowned as the Ooni.

The Oba-elect from the Giesi Ruling House rode into the acclaimed ancestral home of the Yoruba, at about 1.58pm local time in a convoy of hundreds of vehicles and personalities including former president Olusegun Obasanjo amid drumming, dancing and praises. It was learnt that the Ooni had left his Ibadan, Oyo State home at about 11.35am in the company of his family members, business associates, childhood friends among others .
As early as 8am, members of the Ife Traditional Council, the Isoros, notable chiefs, kingmakers, indigenes and non-indigenes alike thronged major streets of Ife to receive the monarch amid pomp. Jubilant residents and relatives of the Ooni elect made their way to Ibadan-ife expressway to cheer and welcome Oba Ogunwusi in different attires bearing the portraits of the first class monarch in Yorubaland.
Before Ogunwusi’s arrival, the jubilant crowd danced and sang praises of him praying for his long reign. Prince Oguwusi who dressed in white agbada with a purple cap was received by a large crowd, who went gaga as his convoy of vehicles stopped at the Ibadan-Expressway boundary of Ife at about 1.58p.m.
Amid cheers and long entourage, Ogunwusi who was accompanied by Prof. Adekanye Aderibigbe, the chairman of the screening committee of the Giesi Ruling House was received by his father, Prince Oluropo Ogunwusi, kingmakers and traditional chiefs.
Leaders of Igbo, Hausa communities and other tribes were also on ground to receive the new Ooni. Various trade associations Ife, Ife youths, primary and secondary schools’ students, student union leaders of the Obafemi Awolowo University and other tertiary institutions in Ife took to the streets of Ife to usher in the new Oba
Upon arrival, he visited some important places including his family house at, the Agbedegbe house, the Obalufe’s compound for the first traditional rite of feet washing and later installed as Sooko. It is mandatory that any Ooni must be initiated into the Sooko group, which automatically confers on him leadership of his ruling house.
Clad in white attire, with a white cloth tied around his head, the Ooni, who arrived Waluberin, where he was initiated as Sooko acknowleged cheers from the crowd. Amid chanting of Ife songs, Prince Ogunwusi, who at about 6.04p.m.emerged from an inner room after being installed Sooko danced to the delight of people amid tight security.
As part of, the rites, the Ooni was expected to have prostrated seven times before the traditional chiefs and kingmakers after which it will become a, taboo, for him to prostrate, for anyone again in life. By tomorrow, Thursday, he would proceed to Ilofi where he would carry out other traditional rites for the next 21 days before he would be crowned Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.