The Director of Media and Public Affairs at the Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare, has faulted the misleading video shared by the media handlers of the Alaafin of Oyo, describing it as an unfair misrepresentation of the monarch’s respectful conduct at the recently held West Africa Economic Summit in Abuja.
The event, which took place on Saturday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, was attended by notable traditional rulers, including the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, Elewuetu I, and the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR.
Olafare in a statement issued Sunday evening, expressed disappointment over an edited video posted by The Oyo Legacies, a media wing of the Alaafin’s palace.
The clip, which surfaced shortly after the summit ended, allegedly portrayed the Alaafin as refusing to greet the Ooni — a narrative Olafare firmly described as false and damaging.
According to him, “His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo, Iku Baba Yeye, arrived the venue in his royal dignity and respectfully walked past his allocated seat to where the Ooni was seated.
He exchanged warm pleasantries and shared light jokes with the Ooni before returning to his seat with his queen.”
The Ooni, who serves as Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) and is the Permanent Chairman of the Osun State Council of Obas and Chiefs, was already seated in the VIP room along with his associates before the arrival of the Alaafin.
Olafare stressed that contrary to what the video implied, the Alaafin exhibited rare humility and brotherhood.
He added that the Ooni reciprocated the gesture, standing to greet the Alaafin and engaging in a warm interaction.
“It is disheartening that instead of celebrating such a powerful moment of unity between two foremost Yoruba monarchs, the Alaafin’s media team chose to circulate a misleading video that casts their own principal in a negative light,” he stated.
He further advised the palace media handlers to undergo immediate retraining, stating that media teams should promote peace and manage the image of their principal responsibly.
“Alaafin Owoade acted with dignity. The video was not only misleading but also disrespectful to the values he demonstrated at the event. Media handlers must learn the ethics of image management and proper protocol. What happened in Abuja should have been used to show that the Alaafin is a man of peace and honour,” Olafare said.
He concluded by revealing that the Alaafin even used the opportunity to schedule a visit to the Ooni in Ile-Ife later in the week, further confirming the cordial relationship between the two revered monarchs.
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