By Sunday Adeyemo, better known as Sunday Igboho has asked for forgiveness from the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, over a statement he made, calling the monarch and some prominent Yoruba leaders “Fulani Slaves”.
While speaking at a virtual town hall meeting on Wednesday morning, Igboho had said the monarch failed to tell the President Muhammadu Buhari the truth about the crisis during his recent visit to Aso Rock.
Recall Igboho had issued a seven-day ultimatum to herders in Ibarapa area of Oyo state, accusing them of crimes such as kidnapping, killings, destruction of farmland and insecurity in the state.
“When Ooni met with Buhari over the herdsmen issue, Ooni should have told Buhari the truth, but he did not. When Ooni returned, he started tackling me to leave the remaining task to the government to finish. Can you imagine that kind of talk?
“Alaafin of Oyo has asked me to meet him over the matter. Alaafin should have been the one invited to meet Buhari, but since the Ooni was invited, he should be bold to tell the President the whole truth and make the Yoruba people’s demands known to the President.
“The Ooni disappointed himself. Some politicians are behind Ooni’s latest move. He invited me to his palace, but I refused to go. I would have gone if he had represented us well, but he did not. I won’t honour any monarch who does not cooperate with me. Enough is enough; the Fulani have done enough,” he said during the meeting.
Igboho’s remarks met with a number of reactions from people of the Yoruba nation, with some berating him for disrespecting the Ooni.
However, in an interview with Isokan Omo Oodua TV, the activist, denied insulting the monarch.
“They said I insulted the Ooni of Ife. I and the monarch, as well as the Olugbon, have spoken on the phone,” he said.
He begged for forgiveness if whatever he said appeared as an insult to the monarch he described as a father to him.
He added, “The Yoruba tradition doesn’t permit the insult of elders. But because the issue pained me, 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 the Ooni. And if it appears as if I did, he should forgive me.”
