- Alaafin to Release Supreme Court Ruling After Clash With Ooni
- Dispute follows Ooni’s conferment of pan-Yoruba title on Dotun Sanusi.
- Lawyer counters Alaafin’s claim, affirming Ooni’s historical authority in Ile-Ife.
Tension is rising in Yorubaland as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, prepares to release a Supreme Court judgment said to affirm his authority to confer pan-Yoruba chieftaincy titles.
The move follows the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum issued to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, demanding the withdrawal of the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title conferred on businessman Dotun Sanusi.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Alaafin, through his aide Bode Durojaiye, argued that the Ooni overstepped his powers and violated a Supreme Court pronouncement restricting his jurisdiction to former Oranmiyan areas, now within Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South.
Palace sources confirmed that meetings have been held in Oyo town, with the monarch expected to present the judgment to reinforce his claim.
The Atóbaáse of Yorubaland, Babajide Agunbiade, backed the Alaafin, stressing that history and judicial precedents supported his paramount authority.
He urged the monarch to pursue legal action to protect tradition, describing the Ooni’s action as an attempt to undermine Yoruba heritage.
However, Abuja-based lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi dismissed the Alaafin’s claim, insisting that no Supreme Court ruling or constitutional provision granted him exclusive authority. He maintained that the Ooni, as custodian of Yoruba spiritual heritage and head of Ile-Ife—the cradle of the Yoruba nation—acted within his rights.
Olajengbesi said the Ooni’s conferment on Sanusi was legitimate and symbolic of Yoruba unity. He advised the Alaafin to be properly guided, warning against distortion of legal and historical facts.
The development has fueled heated debate among Yoruba leaders and citizens, with some calling for restraint to prevent further division between the two revered monarchs.
