The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, demanding the withdrawal of plans to confer the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on business magnate, Dotun Sanusi.
In a statement signed by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin described the Ooni’s move as an affront to Yoruba tradition and a violation of established authority.
According to the monarch, the prerogative to bestow chieftaincy titles covering the entire Yorubaland rests solely with the Alaafin.
“The conferment of a chieftaincy title that pertains to Yorubaland by the Ooni of Ife is not only an affront to the revered institution of the Alaafin, but also contrary to law and tradition,” the statement read.
“The Ooni is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order. The Alaafin therefore demands an immediate revocation of the so-called Okanlomo of Yorubaland title within 48 hours or face the consequences.”
The Alaafin further cited historical and legal precedents to back his claim. He recalled that the Supreme Court had previously affirmed the Alaafin’s exclusive authority to confer Yoruba-wide titles. He also referenced the 1888 treaty signed by Alaafin Adeyemi I with the British Crown, which formally recognised the Alaafin as the head of Yorubaland, as well as Lord Lugard’s 1917 Political Memoranda, which listed the Alaafin as “Head of Yoruba Kings.”
A similar dispute, he noted, occurred in 1991 when the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, attempted to install Chief Tom Ikimi as Akinrogun of Yorubaland. The move was nullified after stiff opposition from the Alaafin and intervention by the Oyo State Government, reinforcing the Alaafin’s position as custodian of Yoruba-wide titles.
However, the development has reignited the age-long debate over traditional supremacy between the Alaafin and the Ooni. While some cultural leaders affirm the Alaafin’s political authority, others argue that the Ooni, revered as the spiritual leader of the Yoruba, and the Alaafin should be seen as complementary institutions rather than rivals.
The unfolding tension has stirred concerns about its potential impact on unity and peace within Yorubaland.
