Ooni Okunade Sijuade, Olubuse II reigned over Ile Ife between 6 December 1980 and 28 July, 2015. Before he went on a trip to join his ancestors, he usually had a battle for supremacy with the reigning Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III.
In January 2009, Ooni Sijuwade was quoted as saying Oba Adeyemi was ruling a dead empire.
That statement is ever relevant!
I believe the first relegation began with the appeal of Oba Akitoye, the Eleko to the British in December 1851, to assist him in regaining his obaship of Lagos from Oba Kosoko.
This resulted in a three-day siege on Lagos which was termed the Reduction of Lagos or ogun Agidingbi between December 26 and 28 1851.
When the battle was won, Akitoye was reinstalled. But his return wasn’t for nothing.
He had to sign a treaty between Britain and Lagos ostensibly abolishing the slave trade.
In 1896, a British invasion force set out to overthrow the Oba of Benin, Ovonramwem Nogbaisi. The Oba escaped but on 5th August 1897, he returned to the city to formally surrender to the British.
He was then exiled to Calabar with two wives!
Many years later, when Samuel Ladoke Akintola aka SLA was premier of the western region, the Odemo of Isara, Oba Samuel Akisanya’s salary was reduced to one penny because of his support for Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Meanwhile, the Olowo of Owo, Sir Olateru Olagbegi II, was to have his own turn when his subjects rose against him in 1966. He was a firm supporter of SLA.
He was banished for twenty five years!
In 1981, the governor of Kano State, Abubakar Rimi, restricted traditional homage paid to the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero. He went on to remove some domains from the emirate.
The trio of Sijuade, Bayero and the Obi of Onitsha, Okagbue II were punished in 1984 for traveling to Israel.
They were banned from traveling abroad without permit.
The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo was nearly punished by the then governor of the state, Gbenga Daniel for complaining about state of roads in the state.
He had to tender an apology to the governor. .
The recent battle for the soul of the emirate is not novel.
Politicians are generally wary of traditional rulers. In fact they fear those who are knowledgeable and richer than their communities.
However, the traditional rulers too are hardly making a case for themselves. That’s because they’re, generally, in support of one party or the other.
One could only guess what could happen if the party they’re supporting happens not to win elections.
Another is the fact that modernity is rendering our traditional rulers more and more irrelevant. The best our system of government has offered them is a position that’s lower than even a local government chairman.
The most annoying thing is that some of them do believe they are greater than the inherent circumstances have placed them!
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