Ibadan — THE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, yesterday, shunned the Peace and Conflict resolution meeting set up to broker peace among the warring monarchs in the South West.

Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade and Alaafin have had frosty relationship over who is the foremost Yoruba king for ages.

For a long time, they have been avoiding each other at any public gathering.

A source at the meeting, said since Ooni of Ife was in attendance, it was sure that Alaafin would be absent.

The meeting which was initiated by the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, to resolve the crises among the monarchs, had in attendance many notable kings from the zone.

However, there was a mild drama at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan the venue of the meeting as the Managing Director of the hotel, Mrs. Tola Ajayi, became hostile to journalists.

She accosted the photojournalist from the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Mrs. Yinka Bode-Are, asking her to go out of the meeting as no newsman was invited.

As the journalist was explaining that she came on invitation, she ordered a police sergeant at the hotel to walk her out of the hotel.

It took the intervention of other newsmen at the venue before the visibly hostile woman relaxed.

Among the notable monarchs that attended the meeting were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odugade, Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi, Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Kiladejo, Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejuyigbe, Olowo of Owo, Oba Olateru Olagbegi, among others.

When they started arriving , they first sat at the lobby of the hotel. Oba Sijuade got there before 11am.

The convener of the meeting, Oba Akinrutan was seen making phone calls to other kings who were not at the meeting.

When Vanguard called the Personal Assistant to Oba Adeyemi, Mr. Fehintola Azeez, to know the reason for the absence of Alaafin, it appeared he was not aware of the meeting.

He said: "Which meeting. We are just coming from Lagos. We are about getting to Toll Gate in Ibadan."