Ooni of Ife: New Yoruba king crowned in Nigeria

Image caption Mr Ogunwusi (centre) now becomes the most influential chief of the 35-million strong Yoruba community 
 

Source: BBC

A 40-year-old accountant has been crowned the new Ooni of Ife - a revered monarch in south-west Nigeria.

The new king Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi is now one of the most influential among the Yoruba people, Nigeria's second biggest ethnic group, of about 35 million in West Africa.
Tens of thousands celebrated in the city of Ife, AFP reports.
He told the BBC he does not intend to get involved in politics, wants unity and will stand for "forthrightness".
The new king said to the BBC's Umar Shehu Elleman that he doesn't want supremacy among leaders.
Instead "we just want to lead by example, do things right and foster unity," he said.


He said he would "guide the leaders" of the country who he said were "very good people" who needed patience.
"I will lead by example. I will stand on the part of transparency, on the part of forthrightness," he said.

Image copyright AFP He said he would "guide the leaders" of the country who he said were "very good people" who needed patience.
"I will lead by example. I will stand on the part of transparency, on the part of forthrightness," he said.

• The Ooni of Ife's kingdom is in present-day Osun state in south-west Nigeria
• The monarch should be a direct descendant of Oduduwa, who is a Yoruba god
• The practice of burying someone alive with a king who dies has long been abolished