The protracted public feud between two prominent Yoruba traditional rulers—the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi—has intensified dramatically. Six months after accusing the Ooni of betrayal and conspiring to undermine his authority, the Oluwo has leveled explosive new allegations, claiming the Ooni plotted his assassination with his former wife, Chanel Chin.
Allegations of Poison and Conspiracy
In a video posted on his Instagram page on Tuesday, Oba Akanbi directly accused Oba Ogunwusi of conspiring with Ms. Chin, his ex-wife, to engineer his downfall and death.
The Oluwo claimed his previous marriage to Ms. Chin, a Canadian-born daughter of Jamaican reggae artist Ludlow “Bobo Zaro” Chin, was a setup orchestrated by the Ooni’s camp. The couple separated in December 2019, citing “personal irreconcilable differences,” and Oba Akanbi later married Kano Princess, Firdaus Abdullahi, in March 2022.
Recounting the period of his first marriage, the Oluwo alleged:
“She was in my house, and they talked to her and set me up with videos and many things… She was there [in my house] for over three years. She poisoned me twice. They set up an assassination attempt. They did everything so that maybe their gods would kill me, but they failed. After I found out the secret, I kicked this woman out. It was Ooni who accommodated her.”
Oba Akanbi further claimed he must now seek a DNA test for the son they share, Oduduwa, questioning the child’s paternity given the alleged conspiracy.
The Kingmaker and the Hotel Affair
The animosity extends to the circumstances of the Ooni’s ascension to the throne. The Oluwo alleged that he played a crucial role in helping Oba Ogunwusi become the Ooni of Ife, but claimed the Ooni is now plotting to kill him to silence him from revealing his involvement.
Oba Akanbi also accused the Ooni of engaging in an extramarital affair with Ms. Chin, his former wife, at an undisclosed hotel.
“Ask him (Ooni of Ife) what the lady (my ex-wife) was doing with him in the hotel… He rented a house for her and the child,” the Oluwo challenged. “The Ooni is now living with the same woman and doing everything together.”
The Oluwo concluded that this conflict would never end, asserting his rank and dismissing the Ooni’s previous alleged role in his suspension from the Osun State Council of Obas as irrelevant.
Ooni’s Spokesperson Calls Allegations “Childish”
Responding to the allegations, the Ooni of Ife’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, dismissed the claims as both baseless and “childish.”
Olafare questioned the Oluwo’s method of reporting an alleged assassination plot, suggesting the claims lacked credibility if they were not formally reported to law enforcement.
“I hope he has reported it to the police station. If somebody alleges a threat to his life or an attempt to kill him, should he report it to the security agencies or to the media?… He is always rushing to the media to shout.”
Regarding the infidelity and accommodation allegations, Olafare firmly stated that such matters were private and did not concern the Ooni, urging the Oluwo to move on from his past marriage.
“It is an allegation too childish to respond to,” Olafare concluded, noting that the Oluwo is not the first person to experience marital issues, even referencing the Ooni’s own past relationship challenges.
For marketing and advertising, or publishing your promotional content, contact us at [email protected]
