Alaafin of Oyo Breaks Silence on Rumoured Feud With Ooni of Ife, Video Goes Viral
- A supposed bitter royal supremacy battle was said to be brewing among two of the highest kings in Yorubaland
- The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, addressed the purported feud between him and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi
- Owoade was crowned the 46th Alaafin of Oyo in April 2025, succeeding the 45th Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who died on April 22, 2022
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering metro.
Oyo, Oyo state - Abimbola Owoade, the Alaafin of Oyo, has said contrary to rife media reports, he is not feuding with Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife.
The Alaafin set the record straight during an interview with BBC News Yoruba, monitored by Legit.ng. The video, which has been watched by over 490,000 people, was published on Monday, August 18.
Read also
Source: Twitter
Alaafin explained:
"Bloggers in this time that we live in are only after how to generate their revenue.
"I remember when we were young, they would say Ayinde Barrister and Ayinla Kollington are fighting, which was not so.
"From time immemorial, people have always discussed among themselves that a fraught relationship exist between Alaafin and Ooni. And the reason why they say that is because they see Alaafin and Ooni as the two topmost traditional rulers in Yorubaland. It is for this reason that they think there is a supremacy fight.
"It is rumour mongers that they feel that way, and put such on the internet so as to make money.
"For me, I hold no grudge against anybody and I am not in a rift with anybody. I relate with everybody. And I remember I met Kabiesi Oonirisa in Lagos and we greet each other. There is no problem at all between us. It is the people that often want to make a fuss out of nothing. There is no problem between us at all. It is the people that usually want to create fuss about supremacy."
Read also
Source: Twitter
Alaafin debunks rift with Adelabu
In the same vein, the Alaafin trashed rumours of a feud with Adebayo Adelabu.
Oyo-born Adelabu, a former deputy governor, operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is currently serving as the federal minister of power of Nigeria.
According to Alaafin, claims that he snubbed Adelabu during his coronation earlier in 2025, are untrue as he did not immediately know that the minister was greeting him.
He said:
"He (Adelabu) is a good man and I admire him. He reciprocates my admiration. There is no time that I telephone him that he would not pick my call as a monarch to a minister.
"You know sometimes, when people do not get close to you, they cannot know the real you."
The Alaafin's interview can be watched in full below:
Read more on Alaafin of Oyo:
- Oyo gets new Alaafin as Oba Owoade ascends throne
- Abimbola Akeem Owoade: 10 facts about Alaafin of Oyo as Makinde gives approval
Read also
Alaafin, Ooni rift: Historian says politics at play
A historian and political analyst, Dr. Olasupo Olakunle Thompson, has reacted to reports of tension between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife, noting that the matter has taken on a political dimension.
He recalled that in May, when similar allegations surfaced, the Alaafin’s palace issued a strong denial.
He quoted the statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, as saying:
“This latest series of manufactured debates is an unhelpful exercise that distracts and detracts from the truly important issues to which sons and daughters of Yorubaland should devote their energy and focus.”
“The Alaafin holds the Ooni of Ife – and all custodians of Yoruba heritage – in high regard and is deeply committed to working hand-in-hand with them to chart a new path of unity, justice, and sustainable development across our land.”
Dr. Thompson also cited the position of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Niyi Akintola, who in a radio interview stressed the historical supremacy of the Alaafin.
Read also
According to him, Akintola had said:
“Alaafin is not a king that you look at. He has no rival. In the past, when the Alaafin is passing through other towns, the traditional ruler in those enclaves must not raise their head. They will face the ground and be hailing him, Kabiyesi.”
“Alaafin is superior to any other traditional ruler in Yorubaland. The nomenclature of obaship itself in Yorubaland started with the Alaafin. So, when you’re talking about Obaship, Alaafin is at the apex. He has no rival.”
Reflecting on these contrasting claims, Dr. Thompson concluded:
“So one can see that it has now become a game of chess between the two monarchs. It has become more political and more than meets the eye. The recent saga is just one of many more to come, and the consequence of the unsettled dispute.”
Supremacy rights in Yorubaland
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a constitutional lawyer based in Abuja, Pelumi Olajengbesi, publicly dismissed claims that the Alaafin of Oyo holds exclusive authority over pan-Yoruba matters, stating that no Supreme Court judgment supports such a position.
Read also
Olajengbesi made the assertion in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
Olajengbesi emphasised the historical significance of Ile-Ife, saying it is the origin of Yoruba civilisation.
Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a historian for this report.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
