Tension as Alaafin of Oyo Gives Order to Ooni of Ife

• The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has opposed the decision of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, to confer the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland
• Oba Owoade gave the Ooni 48 hours to revoke the title conferred on an Ibadan businessman, Engineer Dotun Sanusi
• The Alaafin of Ibadan claimed Ooni's action was against both the tradition and the judgment of the Supreme Court

Tension is mounting in the Southwest as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, gave the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, a 48-hour ultimatum to withdraw the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland recently bestowed on Ibadan businessman, Engineer Dotun Sanusi.

In a statement issued through Bode Durojaiye, his director of media and publicity, on Monday, August 18, the Alaafin described the action of the Ooni as an affront and direct challenge to his authority.

He said the Alaafin holds the exclusive right to give titles that cover the entire Yorubaland.

Why Alaafin kicked against Ooni confering titles

In the statement, the Alaafin described the action of the Ooni as an insult and ultra vires. The monarch recalled that the Supreme Court had previously ruled that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive authority to confer Yoruba titles. He maintained that the Ooni’s action not only violated this ruling but also disregarded long-standing tradition.

According to The Tribune, the Alaafin explained that the staff of office presented to Oba Ogunwusi when he was installed restricted his authority to the Oranmiyan local government, which has now been split into Ife North, Ife South and Ife Central

Oba Owoade insisted that the Ooni did not have the mandate to confer a traditional title that would cover the whole of Yorubaland on anyone, insisting that "this must stop."

Alaafin laments dignity of Yoruba traditional institutions

The Alaafin further argued that the dignity of the Yoruba traditional institution was being put to the test, adding that there would be consequences should the Ooni fail to withdraw the title within 48 hours.

Oba Owoade recounted his unity tour across the Yoruba kingdom and argued that development and peace would only thrive when there is respect for hierarchy and tradition.

He stressed that the forefathers of the Yoruba Kingdom fought for unity and that the present generation must preserve it. However, according to Owoade, the Ooni of Ife is taking his peace initiative as a weakness, while describing the conferment as "provocative actions".

The face-off between the two royal fathers would set the stage for another historic clash in Yorubaland. The development had raised concerns about a looming rift which could threaten the delicate balance of traditional authority in the southwest region.

Alaafin-Ooni rift strained by unresolved traditions - Historian

A historian, Dr. Olasupo Olakunle Thompson, says the current rift between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife is deeply rooted in history and worsened by colonial interference.

He explained that while Ile Ife is the ancestral and spiritual home of the Yoruba, Oyo developed into the political base of many communities. According to him, this duality has long shaped relations between the two thrones.

“Since the colonial era, there have been divisions among the Obas in not just Yoruba land but the entire Nigeria as a whole because the British government subdued some while elevating others, creating animosity,” he said, adding that the absence of a clear legal framework for traditional rulers has continued to fuel rivalry.

Dr. Thompson noted that even past monarchs did not always see eye to eye, describing this as a lingering “British legacy of colonialism.”

Commenting on today’s situation, he observed that both the Ooni’s and Alaafin’s ascensions have ignited controversy, with recent incidents in Oyo heightening tension between the two palaces.

“There is no doubt that it has already [affected unity],” he warned, stressing that the lack of constitutional clarity leaves “a vacuum for Yoruba sons and daughters to objectively give proper judgment of the issue.”

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