The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) berated former President Olusegun Obasanjo for ordering Oke-Ogun monarchs to stand and sit at an event organised by the Oyo State Government in Iseyin, Oyo State.
In a statement made available to The Guardian by its Secretary-General, Chief Oladipo Oyewole, YCE condemned the action of the Elder Statesman, Baba Olusegun Obasanjo, in its entirety.
Oyewole described the action as an open disdain for the stools.
The group described Obasanjo’s conduct as tantamount to a denigration of the Status of Yoruba traditional leaders, royal gathers and a direct affront to the people’s culture, norms and values.
The group subsequently demanded an apology from the former president.
He said: ‘’This denigration of Yoruba traditional leaders, royal fathers is a direct affront on the people’s culture, norms and values. In fact, the imperious outburst of the former president is disparaging, dispiriting and disrespectful to the entire Yoruba people.
“It is sacrilegious to brazenly and unabashedly ridicule the second-in-command to the deity (Igbakeji Orisha).
“The highly cherished heritage and cultural values of the Yoruba people (iwa OMOLUWABI) must be respected by all and sundry.
“It is a desecration of the revered Yoruba stools and open opprobrium of progenitors of Oduduwa. It is demeaning and belittling.
“As elders of the respected people of Yoruba, we have the sacred duty to protect our culture, values, norms and traditions. We, therefore, caution the Owu Chief to weigh his utterances.
“Accordingly, we demand an apology from the former president.”
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