A fierce royal confrontation is unfolding in Yorubaland as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has given the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, 48 hours to withdraw the Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title recently conferred on Ibadan business mogul, Engineer Dotun Sanusi.
In a statement issued Monday by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin described the conferment as an “affront” and a direct challenge to the Alaafin’s exclusive authority to bestow titles covering all of Yorubaland.
“The conferment of a Yoruba-wide chieftaincy title by the Ooni is not only ultra vires but an insult to the Titan of Yorubaland. The Supreme Court itself has ruled that only the Alaafin has such authority. Yet, the Ooni continues to act above the law, trampling on both tradition and the courts,” the statement read.
The Alaafin argued that Oba Ogunwusi’s instrument of office, presented at his installation, restricts his jurisdiction to Oranmiyan Local Government—now split into Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South. “He has no mandate to confer a title that covers the whole of Yorubaland. This must stop,” the statement warned.
Oba Owoade further stated that the dignity of Yoruba traditional authority is at stake and warned of unspecified “consequences” if the Ooni fails to comply.
Recounting his unity tour across Yoruba kingdoms, the Alaafin emphasized that peace and development depend on respect for hierarchy and tradition. “Our forefathers sacrificed for unity, and we must preserve it. But the Ooni of Ife is mistaking the Alaafin’s peace initiative for weakness, hence these provocative actions,” he said.
The dispute has set the stage for a rare showdown between two of Yorubaland’s most powerful monarchs, raising fears of a rift that could unsettle the region’s traditional power structure.
