The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has appealed to contestants seeking the vacant Olufon of Ifon-Omima throne in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State to embrace dialogue and support a peaceful resolution of the prolonged succession dispute.
The appeal was conveyed by Oba Peter Ipadeola, the monarch of Ifon-Osun in Osun State, who visited Ifon-Omima on Saturday to facilitate reconciliation among the contestants and other community stakeholders.
The Olufon stool became vacant following the death of Oba Israel Adeusi in 2020. Disagreements over the selection process have prevented the community from installing a successor.
Speaking during the visit, Ipadeola said the Ooni had sent him to help resolve the dispute and urged all those seeking the throne to place the interests of the community above their personal ambitions.
He said the Ooni would welcome a resolution that restored peace and enabled the community to install a new monarch.
Monarch Warns of Consequences of Prolonged Leadership Vacuum
Ipadeola warned that the absence of a reigning traditional ruler could affect the community’s ability to represent its interests before the government and other traditional institutions.
He said a community without a king could be deprived of effective representation within the council of traditional rulers and face difficulties in seeking government attention for its development needs.
The monarch urged the contestants to cooperate with efforts to resolve the impasse and allow the selection process to proceed peacefully.
Community Leader Calls for Transparent Selection Process
The Asuada of Ifon-Omima, Chief Tunde Eniolorunda, described Ipadeola’s visit as an important opportunity to resolve the succession dispute and pave the way for the emergence of a new Olufon.
Eniolorunda appealed to the Ondo State Government to allow the selection process to proceed in accordance with the existing chieftaincy declaration.
He also called for transparency and urged the government to avoid interference in the process.
The community leader said residents wanted the established procedures to be followed so that Ifon-Omima could have a reigning monarch like other towns.
Community Renews Demand for Investigation Into Late Monarch’s Killing
Eniolorunda also called for an investigation into the killing of Oba Adeusi, saying the community had continued to seek answers about the circumstances surrounding the monarch’s death.
He said the town had been without a king for six years and would not abandon its demand for an investigation to identify those responsible for the killing.
The demand was raised alongside calls for the resolution of the succession dispute and the installation of a new traditional ruler.
Committee Explored Options to Resolve the Impasse
The President of the Ifon Improvement Forum, Major General Benjamin Badewole, traced efforts to settle the dispute to the formation of the Olufon Memorial 2020 following Adeusi’s death.
Badewole said a five-member committee was subsequently established under his leadership to examine possible solutions.
The committee consulted the Olori Ebis, secretaries of the seven ruling houses and other stakeholders before recommending that the contest for the throne be opened to eligible candidates.
According to Badewole, the Ondo State Government rejected the proposal because there was no chieftaincy declaration supporting that arrangement.
Proposals Submitted to Ondo Government Await Response
Badewole said the executive of the Ifon Improvement Forum developed three options for resolving the dispute in February 2026.
The proposals were submitted to the state government on February 14, but the forum had not received a response at the time of his remarks.
He said the Ifon Association in America and the Ooni of Ife were subsequently approached to intervene, leading to Ipadeola’s visit to the community.
Ifon Improvement Forum Appeals for Unity Among Contestants
Badewole urged all contestants to set aside their differences and work towards a mutually acceptable solution that would restore unity and allow the succession process to move forward.
He appealed to those seeking the throne to put the community’s collective interests ahead of individual ambitions.
The forum said its intervention was aimed at securing a peaceful resolution to the prolonged dispute and enabling Ifon-Omima to install a new Olufon in accordance with the applicable chieftaincy arrangements.
