Should Oba of Lagos apologise to Ooni of Ife? Reactions...

All Yoruba Obas are bound to respect Ooni – Peter Fatomilola, Veteran actor, cultural leader

I would say any Oba in Yorubaland is bound to respect the seat of the Ooni, not considering the age of who occupies the seat. The position of Ooni is one to be respected and revered by all. Anybody who is the Ooni is holding the position of Oduduwa and I don’t know why the Oba of Lagos would not respect the culture of yesteryears. 

I remember when Oba Adesoji Aderemi and Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Olubuse II, were on the throne, they were revered. The same respect people had for those past Obas should be extended to the present Ooni. It’s not just about him, it’s also about the position he occupies.

We don’t expect such from any Yoruba Oba – Yinka Odumakin, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group

For us in Afenifere, we want to assume that Oba Rilwan Akiolu did not know that it was the Ooni of Ife that was greeting him when he waved his hand. This is because we do not expect any Oba in Yorubaland to deliberately display such conduct in public as the stool is beyond the person occupying the position. If Oba Otudeko and Chief Mike Adenuga snub each other in the open, it is different. But with those who sit on paramount stools in Yorubaland, we expect some level of comportment, which we do not want to think that any first class Oba will throw away deliberately except if it was inadvertent and he (Akiolu) did not know who was greeting him. That is the only excuse that will allow a conduct that is below the level of our civilisation in Yorubaland. But I don’t think that we should drag the issue to the point of asking the Oba of Lagos to apologise to the Ooni of Ife. Yoruba people have made their views known that they abhor a situation where Yoruba monarchs will display such attitude openly or be fighting. In the last one year, the Ooni of Ife has opened a new leaf of royal conduct in Yorubaland and I think this incident has become a referendum. Yoruba people have keyed into his approach. Therefore, it will not be necessary to talk of any apology. If it was an error and the Oba of Lagos feels he should apologise to him, it is up to him, but we will not be making such a demand.

It’ll be good if Oba Akiolu can apologise – Chief Ayo Adebanjo

The action of the Oba of Lagos is condemnable; it is not done in Yorubaland. It does not depict the office of a monarch. Going by the outrage that his action has generated, it will be a step in the right direction if he could apologise to the Ooni. I think he should do it, but I doubt if he will, knowing the type of person that Oba Akiolu is.