\n\nFormer presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has shared details of an encounter he once had with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, at the monarch’s palace.
Sowore made the disclosure in a video interview shared by Sahara TV on Saturday. In the video, he said the incident happened during a visit he paid to the palace of the Ooni of Ife several years ago.
According to Sowore, he was made to wait for about three hours after arriving at the palace before the monarch eventually came out to see him. He said the long wait surprised him, but he remained calm until the Ooni appeared.
He explained that when Oba Ogunwusi finally came out and sat down, people around him told him to go and prostrate to greet the monarch, as is customary.
Sowore, however, said he refused to do so. He stated that instead of prostrating, he stood up, collected a microphone and questioned why he should be expected to prostrate after being kept waiting for three hours.
“I asked them why I should prostrate to someone who kept me waiting for three hours before coming out,” Sowore said in the video.
He added that he believed respect should be mutual and that keeping visitors waiting for hours was not the right way to show respect, no matter the status of the person involved.
The former presidential candidate is known for his outspoken views on leadership, power, and social justice. His comments have sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some Nigerians supporting his stance, while others criticised him for what they described as disrespect to traditional institutions.
As of the time of this report, neither the palace of the Ooni of Ife nor its officials have reacted to Sowore’s comments.
