Ooni of Ife denies Baba Ijesha was given chieftaincy title; says he received gifts

 Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, has addressed claims that he conferred a chieftaincy title on Olanrewaju Omiyinka, the Nigerian actor popularly known as Baba Ijesha.   On Friday, the controversial actor shared a photo of himself and his wife kneeling before the monarch, claiming he had been bestowed with the chieftaincy title ‘Baba Awada Konge Oduwa’, which translates to Father of Comedy Meets Oduduwa.   Baba Ijesha also claimed the Ooni gifted him a car.   In a statement signed by Moses Olafare, the Ooni’s director of media and public affairs, shared on Facebook, Ooni denied conferring any chieftaincy title on the actor.   The monarch explained that the phrase “Awada Konge Oduwa” was merely a humorous remark recognising Baba Ijesha’s contribution to comedy and was never intended to be a traditional title.   He said that although the actor could be considered for a chieftaincy title in the future, no such honour was bestowed during his visit.   He added that chieftaincy titles in Ile Ife can only be conferred through established traditional procedures, none of which took place during Baba Ijesha’s visit.   “The conferment of chieftaincy titles in Ile-Ife remains a sacred traditional process governed by established customs, consultations and traditional rites, which are publicly conducted in accordance with the age-long traditions of the source. None of these customary procedures took place during the actor’s visit to the Palace,” he said.   The monarch further disclosed Baba Ijesha was only given a car and cash gifts as a gesture of “fatherly love and royal generosity” to celebrate the birth of his son.   The actor and his wife, who is the CEO of Luminee Couture Limited, recently welcomed a new child shortly after his release from prison.   Baba Ijesha regained his freedom in November 2025 after serving his sentence for his 2022 conviction by a Lagos High Court on charges of indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault.   Although he was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment, the terms ran concurrently, resulting in about five years behind bars.  

The Ooni of Ife’s palace denies Baba Ijesha’s claim of a chieftaincy title, confirming only a car gift. Get the full story on this royal controversy. Read More: https://punchng.com/baba-ijesha-got-car-not-chieftaincy-title-oonis-palace-says/

Actor Baba Ijesha reveals he received a new car, luxurious gifts, and a chieftaincy title from the Ooni of Ife after the birth of his son. Read More: https://punchng.com/i-got-car-chieftaincy-title-from-ooni-baba-ijesha/

Tokunbo, Nollywood actor Olanrewaju “Baba Ijesha” James has claimed that the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, conferred a chieftaincy title on him during a visit to the monarch’s palace.   The actor made the claim in a Facebook post on Wednesday, where he shared photographs of himself and his wife, fashion entrepreneur Abiodun Tokunbo, alongside the Ooni.   The comic actor shared the photographs of himself and his wife, fashion entrepreneur Abiodun Tokunbo, CEO of Luminee Couture, taken alongside Mr Ogunwusi during a courtesy visit to the palace.   According to Baba Ijesha, the Ooni bestowed on him the title of Baba Awada Konge Oduwa and also presented him with a brand-new car. The Ooni’s palace had not publicly confirmed the honour as of the time of filing this report.   Baba Ijesha also claimed that the Ooni presented him with a brand new car as a gift.   He wrote: “My deepest gratitude to His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife. Baba, thank you for the royal welcome, fatherly love, and the confidence you gave my wife Afolashade Omiyinka and I. For the luxurious gifts you blessed us with, and the brand new car.   “I am truly humbled. As a son of the soil. I’m also honoured by the chieftaincy title, Baba Awada Konge Oduwa. Ile Ife, Ile Oodua and the chiefs and citizens, thank you, sir, ma.”   Backstory Baba Ijesha and his wife visited the Ooni of Ife days after announcing the birth of their son, King Kagar.   Ms Tokunbo also shared photographs from the palace visit on her Instagram Story on Wednesday, posting images of herself and her husband in the same outfits seen in the pictures Baba Ijesha shared from the Ooni’s palace.   Although she did not mention the monarch or the reported chieftaincy honour, she captioned one of the photos: “My yesterday’s outfit was good, my husband’s outfit was on point.”   The couple welcomed the child seven months after Baba Ijesha regained his freedom, having completed a prison sentence handed down following his conviction for child sexual assault.   The announcement surprised many followers, as neither Baba Ijesha nor Ms Tokunbo publicly disclosed a romantic relationship before this.   Some social media users initially questioned whether the announcement was a skit or promotional content, a practice common among entertainers online.   As the controversy brewed, the couple remained silent, save for Baba Ijesha’s close ally, actor and activist Yomi Fabiyi, who publicly defended him.

The actor said the monarch also presented him with a brand-new car during the palace visit. The post Baba Ijesha claims Ooni of Ife conferred chieftaincy title on him appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.