The Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has come under criticism for standing to greet a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State governor Bola Tinubu at the coronation of the Oniru of Iruland, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal.
A picture of Tinubu sitting while the Ooni stands to greet him went viral on Wednesday, September 9.
According to reports, the Ooni was walking to his seat when he stopped to greet Tinubu who was sitting on the same table with the Oniru.
Yinka Odumakin spokesman for pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, told PUNCH that Tinubu should have stood up to greet the Ooni.
He said it is important for the Yoruba people to respect traditional institutions even if monarchs no longer hold political power.
Mr Odumakin recalled how in 2016 former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is many years older than the monarch, bowed down to greet him.
“We are still Yoruba people. With due respect to our royal fathers, we should not say because we are in a modern age, we should not give the proper respect that we give to our oba.
“You saw the time former President Obasanjo prostrated before the Ooni.
“So, it is still our culture and we must sustain our culture and give the respect that is due to our monarchs,” he said.
A former minister of aviation Femi Fani-Kayode wrote on Twitter: “That the Asiwaju of Bourdillon refused to stand up to greet the Ooni of Ife speaks volumes. This was not only deeply insulting to every Ife & indeed son & daughter of Odua but it is also a crying shame. Would a northern pol. leader refuse to stand up for his traditional ruler?”
Several other Nigerians have taken to social media to express their thoughts about the incident.
