- Alaafin, Ooni Clash Over Chieftaincy Title in Yorubaland
- He demanded revocation within 48 hours, citing Supreme Court authority.
- Ooni’s Palace is yet to respond, sparking concerns over unity and peace.
A fresh rift has emerged between two foremost Yoruba monarchs after the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, sharply criticised the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, for conferring the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman Dotun Sanusi.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Ooni bestowed the title during the unveiling of 2geda, a local social media and business networking platform, held at Ilaji Hotel in Ibadan. In his remarks, Ogunwusi hailed Sanusi’s contributions to Yoruba cultural and economic advancement.
However, the Alaafin, through a statement issued by his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, on Monday, insisted that only the Alaafin holds the authority to confer titles covering the entire Yorubaland. He demanded the revocation of the title within 48 hours, warning of “consequences” if ignored.
“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if no authority exists to call him to order,” the statement read. “The Supreme Court has affirmed that only the Alaafin reserves the right to confer any chieftaincy title with jurisdiction over Yorubaland.”
Oba Owoade further argued that the Ooni’s jurisdiction was limited to parts of Ife, stressing that extending titles beyond his domain undermined peace efforts across the region.
“It is the joy of our forefathers that Yorubaland remains united,” the Alaafin said, warning that continued disregard for traditional limits of authority could jeopardise stability and development.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Ooni’s Palace, Moses Olafare, for a response were unsuccessful as calls and messages to his lines were not answered at the time of filing this report.
The latest confrontation highlights long-standing rivalries among Yoruba traditional institutions and raises concerns about unity in the region.
