Some pictures of Oseloka Obi, the son of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi for 2023, for allegedly being gáy after he was featured in the UK Gay Times resurfaced online after he denied being gáy.

Prominently shown on the magazine’s cover, the British-Nigerian actor was an outspoken supporter of the LGBT community.

Another image that went viral on social media and was left out of the magazine showed Oseloka and another man leering at one another.

One of his pictures message read: “Today was really special @ukblackpride. It was unreal to see so many queer black people feeling themselves and feeling free. Truly joyful and some very important conversations had too. I feel so lucky to be part of this community you know!

Nigerians’ reactions to this visual depiction on social media were varied and opinions were highly split.

Reacting, Reality star, Frodd wrote: “Oh chim”

therealbaby__011 wrote: “His life , his choice. They are some children beyond parents control , is well with him.”

_igwe_exce wrote: “But y e come be the prominent men their children Dey always do this shit guy!!!

mrpresidennnt wrote: “Someone said “his life his choice”. I laugh you people of earth from Pluto. Y’all funny 😂😂.”

guddychris wrote: “Atleast make your parents proud if not for anything, for the fact that they gave you a better life, most of us dey for Tunde page dey shout “i do” cos we just wan experience better life.. hmm na wah.”

Actress, Nkechi Blessing: “Your caption is confusing me what are you saying?”

ojiugo_soso’s wrote:”😳 he couldn’t just put his life on hold for a bit for his father ? This is what happens when you raise your kids outside.”

maryvenia’s wrote : This boy just wan spoil him father legacy😂. Which kind pikins be this

sweetmariaassy wrote: “And? Thiefnubu’s daughter is worst! Be like ev!l spirit.”

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, must be a terrible coward! Yes, you heard me. His posture, his silence, his refusal to descend into the arena of verbal skirmishes, strikes, insults, and reckless outbursts from men of lesser stature: is this not cowardice dignified?

Some say it is weakness. Some call it timidity. Others whisper it is avoidance. Ooni is a coward? Nooooo. Nooo a thousand times

What some ignorantly label cowardice is, in truth, the rarest expression of maturity, the highest form of discipline, and the loftiest symbol of ancestral wisdom.

Only men with unshakable pedigrees stand tall when provoked, choosing silence over needless uproar. The Ooni does not need to roar like a wounded lion seeking validation. He does not need to scatter peace or split stones just to remind the world of his relevance. His throne, rooted in history, already announces him. His heritage, steeped in divinity, already crowns him. His antecedent, irrefutable and grand, already dignifies him.

The fact is that maturity is inborn. Maturity is not cheap talk—it is an inborn grace. Men of unstable background, men carrying the burden of ancestral tragedies and tainted legacies, may scatter fire to prove existence, for they are haunted by shadows of rejection and suicide.

But the Ooni? He is not of that stock. He is the custodian of Oduduwa’s heritage, the divine envoy of the Yoruba cosmos, a living symbol of continuity whose crown is not bought by noise but secured by destiny.

So let the thunder of pretenders roar. Let them groan, fume, and grind their teeth in the desperation for attention. The Ooni does not bend to such vulgarity.

He does not join in mud fights. He is not a roadside royal in search of relevance. He is culture incarnate, royalty personified, wisdom enthroned.

Yes, if silence in the face of provocation is cowardice, then the Ooni is a coward. But if rising above pettiness, refusing to descend into verbal madness, and standing as a symbol of calm power is cowardice, then may every king be such a coward. We all know this truth: it is only the grabber of what does not belong to him that seeks attention by courting controversy, validation, and public notice.

A man who confiscates what is not his will raise hell to justify his theft. The Ooni, by contrast, has vision. He is steady and regal in his mission. He does not need to join issues with fire-splitting, stone-throwing petrol-bearers of disgrace—men whose antecedents drip with shame and destruction.

Bibire kì í ṣe f’owó rà—nobility cannot be purchased. You cannot compare a panda alàgbède (dross iron) with a diamond. The Ooni is not silver. He is a diamond. And diamonds are forever. It is simple you cannot give what you don’t have .

The Ooni of Ife is more than a monarch. He is Odùduwà—not merely a son of Odùduwà, but the embodiment of Odùduwà’s eternal essence. Hence you don’t expect him to give hoot to any un-royal antics.

For he is not Omo Ola. Ooni is the Ola gan gan gan. He is culture. He is dignity. He is timeless royalty.

Ce finito. Good day. #ooni. #ojajaII.

Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has reacted to the supremacy war between two of Yoruba’s foremost traditional rulers, the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo.

In a message posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, Ayodele recalled an earlier prophetic warning in which he cautioned the two monarchs against allowing rivalry or division. According to him, recent developments have begun to confirm that prophecy.

“Some time ago, I released a prophetic caution concerning the revered thrones of the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo. I said clearly: ‘They must not allow misunderstanding or rivalry, because it will weaken the strength of Yoruba land.’ Now, the manifestation of that warning has begun. But even at this moment, God’s message remains a call to peace,” he wrote.

Ayodele stressed that both monarchs occupy thrones that transcend personal interest, describing them as “symbols of Yoruba history, spiritual and cultural custodians, and fathers of the land.” He warned that a rift between the two would threaten the unity and pride of the Yoruba people, with far-reaching consequences for the younger generation.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘If unity is pursued, blessing will flow; if division is allowed, confusion will rise,’” Ayodele declared, before praying for grace and wisdom for both rulers to reconcile and lead as a united front.

Click here to see Primate Ayodele’s full statement here: