Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuade is dead

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade is dead.
He died today in London at the age of 85.
Oba Sijuwade was the fifth Ooni of Ife. He climbed unto the throne on December 6,
1980. As the Ooni of Ife, he presided over the Ife territory, in the South West Nigeria
but his influence went far and beyond.
He came into office at the height of the supremacy fight amongst Yoruba Obas. The
crisis pitched him against the Alaafin of Oyo. It festered on until Osun state was carved
out of the old Oyo State.
Before he became an Oba, he studied at Abeokuta Grammar School and later at
Northampton College in the United Kingdom before he became a manager at Leventis
stores.
Oba Sijuwade’s term as Oba was characterised with political treachery, as he was one
of the traditional rulers that meddled in politics. He was infamously instrumental to the
annulment of June 12, 1993, elections won by late Moshood Abiola. The Ooni had also
been severally fingered in the failed effort to have Senator Iyiola Omisore elected the
governor of Osun state in 2011.
He survived by several wives and children.