The palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has described the viral video depicting an encounter between the Ooni and Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, at a meeting in Abuja as incomplete and edited to misrepresent the peaceful interaction between the two monarchs.

The two traditional rulers were guest at the West Africa Economic Summit held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja on Saturday.

In a statement issued by the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare on Sunday, he said the two traditional rulers have a peaceful interaction when the Alaafin proceeded to greet the Ooni who was at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre before the Alaafin.

While blaming the Oyo Legacies, a media wing of the palace for posting an edited video on the social media to create the misrepresentation, he acknowledged that the true situation at the event showed that Alaafin upon arrival went straight to greet the Ooni before returning to his seat the VIP centre before proceeding to the main stage.

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“The Ooni of Ife had already been ushered in and was majestically seated at the VIP waiting room of the conference centre alongside some of his business associates and friends

‘His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo few minutes later arrived his own royal candour and walked straight (even ignoring his allocated seat) to the Ooni’s seat for royal greetings while the Arole Oduduwa(in his usual 2nd-To-None humble character) reciprocated the honour accorded him by the Alaafin as he rose to welcome his brother traditional ruler while both exchange pleasantries and few jokes before Alaafin eventually went to take his seat, which he had earlier bypassed alongside his amiable queen.

“When they were both called upon to move into the main hall of the conference centre, it was the Ooni that first left the VIP waiting room, and almost same time followed by the Alaafin to take their respective seats officially tagged in their names inside the hall where the event was ready to be kicked off by the Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, he said.

While blaming the Alaafin media handlers for the misrepresentation on social media, Olafare stressed the need for the media wing to represent the palace and its activities properly to avoid leading the public into wrong assumption.

READ ALSO:Alaafin Owoade: Thy Bata Drum Is Sounding Too Loudly (2)

“Having set the record straight above, it is hereby found so disheartening the manner Oyo Legacies, who blatantly refused to report their principal in his true and positive conduct of virtuous greatly displayed in his exchange of pleasantries with the Ooni and other dignitaries in Abuja yesterday. Either you like it or not, members of the public must react to such information disseminations.

“The roles of media handlers to their principals primarily involve acting as a communication bridge between the principal and the public and other stakeholders, they must work to support their principal by managing his image in a way to get him loved and respected in the society not to get him hated and disrespected as the said video has caused.

“Kabiyesi Alaafin Owoade did excellently well in his approach to Kabiyesi Arole Oduduwa, Ooni Ogunwusi in Abuja yesterday (Saturday) and it should have been so adequately reported by The Oyo Legacies showcasing him as a monarch of peace and harmony that he is and not the otherwise, which the video has portrayed him.

“Alaafin Owoade, going by his conduct yesterday, is a man of peace and someone who values relationships. He even seized the opportunity yesterday to book an appointment to visit the Ooni at Ile-Ife before this week runs out”, the statement added.

Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, has emerged as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), succeeding Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who held the position for the past two years.

The announcement was made during the ECOWAS Summit held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where regional leaders gathered to review the bloc’s progress and chart a new course for deeper cooperation.

Tinubu’s tenure saw increased emphasis on economic integration, regional security, and efforts to restore constitutional order in member states facing coups.

READ ALSO:ECOWAS Court Dismisses Suits On Kudirat Abiola’s Assassination

This was contrary to earlier speculations that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal was elected during a private meeting held prior to the commencement of the session.

President Bio, in his inaugural speech, promised to prioritise four key areas, namely: restoring constitutional order and deepening democracy, revitalising regional security cooperation, unlocking economic integration and building institutional credibility.

President Tinubu was first elected to the position in Guinea-Bissau on July 9, 2023 and he was re-elected a year later in Abuja, following the decision of the leaders to ensure continuity and consistency in meeting targets on security, reconciliation, and development.

A Niger Delta-based cleric, Prophet Bomadi Serimoedumu, has issued a chilling spiritual warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declaring that the souls of Nigerians killed under his administration are spiritually protesting against his return to office in 2027.

The message was delivered during a Sunday service at Paradise City Zion, headquarters of the Mount Zion Divine Gospel Ministry Int’l, in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

Known as the “Secret Revealer of the Niger Delta,” Serimoedumu urged President Tinubu to urgently overhaul Nigeria’s security architecture, stating that the blood of innocent citizens allegedly killed by bandits and insurgents is crying out for justice.

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“Nigeria is bleeding,” the prophet declared. “Innocent souls are being sent to early graves while the Commander-in-Chief remains inactive. The one who should defend and protect these souls has failed to do so.”

He claimed that in the spiritual realm, the dead are “carrying placards” and staging a protest against the Tinubu administration, seeking divine and international intervention to prevent the President’s re-election in 2027.

“Just as the living protest the harsh economic conditions and insecurity in the physical world, those who have been massacred since Tinubu assumed office are also spiritually protesting against his government,” Serimoedumu said.

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He attributed these killings to the activities of armed groups, including bandits and suspected herdsmen, warning that continued inaction could have dire consequences for the nation and the President’s political future.

“President Tinubu must take decisive action now. He must assume full responsibility for the nation’s security before it becomes too late,” he warned. “A word is enough for the wise.”

The prophetic message has since sparked reactions among worshippers and community members, who expressed concern over the deepening insecurity in various parts of the country.
(VANGUARD)