Nigerians React as Alaafin Clarifies Rift With Ooni of Ife
- The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, has sparked reactions again as he clarified his alleged rift with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi
- Oba Owoade dismissed the fake news as mere rumour while recalling his recent meeting with the Ooni of Ife in Lagos
- The monarchs trended after the Alaafin reportedly gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni to revoke the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title he bestowed on a businessman
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The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, has clarified that he has no dispute with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, as claimed in some quarters.
He said bloggers are merely spreading rumours in an attempt to create an artificial conflict between traditional rulers in the southwest.
Oba Owoade addressed this in an interview with BBC Yoruba, where he recalled his meeting with the Ooni of Ife in Lagos during the public hearing of the ongoing constitution review.
Source: Twitter
Alaafin's ultimatum to Ooni of Ife
Tension started mounting in the Southwest as the Alaafin reportedly gave the Ooni of Ife a 48-hour ultimatum to withdraw the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland recently bestowed on Ibadan businessman, Engineer Dotun Sanusi.
In his response, the spokesperson for the Ooni of Ife, Moses Olafare, stated that the monarch has instructed him not to make any official response to the Alaafin's outburst and that the matter should be left to the court of public opinion.
But speaking in an interview with BBC Yoruba, the Alaafin maintained that he had been on good terms with the Ooni as well as other Yoruba monarchs.
However, the Oyo monarch kept mute on the ultimatum and the chieftancy title saga.
How Nigerians reacted to Alaafin's clarifications
The Alaafin's comment has started generating reactions from concerned Nigerians. Below are some of their reactions:
Olatoye Agbomeji said:
"You don’t judge a book by its cover. Oba Owoade is a very lovely King full of wisdom. Oyo Kingdom is blessed to have you. Kabiyesi ooo."
Babalola Gbenga Oluwaseun wrote:
"If Ooni of Ife is called Arole Oduduwa, being a direct descendant of the father of the Yoruba race, Oduduwa, then it’s very clear who the supreme head is."
Source: Twitter
Samuel Oyegbami commented:
"In a World where the truth has been suppressed and hidden! The real one never gets the praise and recognition they deserve, but only Time will tell who is who! The truth can only be hidden; it can never be erased or forgotten."
Babatunde Adekunle opined:
"You don't owe anybody an explanation; you are the king."
Olagunju Raphael reacted:
"But his wife, Ayaba, always says olori alade gbogbo in her post."
See the video of the interview here:
Why Yoruba monarchs still shape modern society today
While Nigerians debated online about the alleged rift between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife, a scholar of African history, Dr. Olasupo Olakunle Thompson, explained that such disputes should be understood in the context of the continuing influence of Yoruba traditions on modern society.
“The Yoruba tradition continues to influence modern society in various ways,” he told Legitng.
On governance, he noted that even without formal political power, traditional rulers like the Ọọ̀ni of Ifẹ̀ and the Alaafin of Ọ̀yọ́ retain significant influence.
“They wield considerable moral, cultural, and symbolic authority, often mediating conflicts, mobilizing communities, and serving as custodians of heritage. This creates a hybrid governance system where state authority coexists with traditional legitimacy.”
On religion and spirituality, Dr. Thompson stressed that Yoruba cosmology remains embedded in the lives of the people.
“Even among Christians and Muslims in Yoruba society, elements of traditional cosmology such as ancestral reverence, festivals, and rites of passage subtly influence practices.”
He added that festivals, proverbs, dress, music, and art still shape Yoruba identity and are increasingly important in the diaspora.
“We have seen in recent times how many Diasporas are tracing their ancestry through DNA to Nigeria and most times it is the Obas or traditional rulers that they come to meet. Recently, some Bahamians traced their ancestry to Egba where they came to visit the Alake.”
Dr. Thompson also linked traditional authority to social values.
“Though urbanization, globalization, and individualism are reshaping these norms, traditional rulers still help in moral and ethical groundings such as respect for elders, communal solidarity, and value systems rooted in Yoruba traditions.”
Igboho vs Gani Adams: Ooni canvasses peace
Legit.ng earlier reported that the rift between Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba nation activist and the Aare Oba Kakanfo, Gani Adams, took a new shape.
Despite the peace move by the Ooni of Ife, the two activists have continued to threaten each other with legal suits.
In a new development, Gani Adams said a viral voice note attributed to him on the issue was distorted and targeted at tarnishing his reputation.
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
