- Alaafin Blasts Ooni Over Controversial Yorubaland Title
- Alaafin said the Ooni had overstepped his authority
- Alaafin argued that the Ooni’s jurisdiction in conferring titles was limited to his local domain
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, on Monday sharply criticised the decision of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, to confer the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman Dotun Sanusi.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Ooni had, over the weekend, bestowed the title during the unveiling of 2geda, an indigenous social media and business networking platform, held at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan.
EDITOR’S PICK
- NCC Removes All Unregistered SIMs From Nigerian Networks
- Tinubu Approves 76% Subsidy on Kidney Dialysis – Details
- Amb. Oluwatoyin Lawal and Wife Installed as Bobaguwa and Yeye Bobaguwa of Ilara Kingdom
While conferring the honour, Oba Ogunwusi described Sanusi’s contributions to the cultural and economic advancement of the Yoruba race as unmatched.
Reacting in a statement issued through his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin said the Ooni had overstepped his authority, insisting that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive right to confer a title that covers the entire Yorubaland.
Oba Owoade demanded that the title be withdrawn within 48 hours or the Ooni should be ready to “face the consequences.” He stressed that the Supreme Court had already affirmed that only the Alaafin possesses such powers, yet the Ooni continued to act in defiance of the law.
“The Ooni of Ife behaves as if there is no authority to check or call him to order. Because of this ‘above the law’ attitude, he has developed a habit of disregarding everyone, including the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which had made a pronouncement on the matter,” the statement read.
The Alaafin further argued that the Ooni’s jurisdiction in conferring titles was limited to his local domain. According to him, the instrument of office presented to Oba Ogunwusi at his coronation clearly restricts his authority to Oranmiyan Local Government, which has since been divided into Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South.
While warning against actions capable of undermining peace across Yorubaland, Oba Owoade recalled his earlier calls for unity among traditional rulers. He emphasised that peace and unity were essential to meaningful and sustainable development.
“It seems the Ooni of Ife is mistaking the Alaafin’s peace-building efforts for weakness, hence taking decisions that are not only beyond his powers but also derogatory to the authority of the Alaafin,” the statement added.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, according to The Punch were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone did not connect and messages sent to him remained unanswered at the time of filing this report.
