Sunday Igboho apologises to Ooni, begs for forgiveness

Ebun Francis| Hours after calling out the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi for betraying the Yoruba after visiting President Muhammadu Buhari over the Fulani herdsmen crisis in the South West, notorious Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho has asked for forgiveness from the monarch.

Alabingo.com reported earlier on Wednesday that Igboho, who recently gave quit notice to the Fulani in Oyo state over allegation of rape and kidnappings, had said at a virtual ‘Townhall With Yoruba In Diaspora’, that the Ooni disappointed himself and failed the Yoruba nation by failing to tell the President the truth about the crisis during the visit.

“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. You can imagine that kind of talk?, Igboho had said.

“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 demands of the Yoruba people 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.”

However, following the uproar that trailed his outburst, Igbogho in an interview with Isokan Omo Oodua TV, denied insulting the monarch, and begged for forgiveness if whatever he said appeared as an insult to the monarch whom he described as a father to him.

He said, “They said I insulted the Ooni of Ife. I and the monarch, as well as the Olugbon, have spoken on the phone.”

“The Yoruba tradition doesn’t permit the insult of elders. But because I was pained by the issue, 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,” he concluded.