The standoff between two foremost Yoruba monarchs has deepened following a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, demanding the withdrawal of a controversial chieftaincy title.
The Alaafin had faulted the Ooni for allegedly conferring the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Ibadan-based businessman, Chief Dotun Sanusi, insisting that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive authority to bestow titles covering the entire Yoruba nation—a right he claimed has been affirmed by the Supreme Court.
But in a sharp rebuttal, the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, dismissed the ultimatum as nothing but “an empty threat from a dead empire.” Writing on WhatsApp, Olafare said the Ooni was focused on initiatives to empower youths, including the Ojaja Smart City project in Ibadan, rather than engaging in “supremacy battles that do not exist.”
“Their 48-hour ultimatum will soon lapse. We are waiting. Dead empire. The Ooni is busy creating jobs across Yorubaland while some are fighting over imaginary supremacy,” Olafare stated.
Meanwhile, the Oore of Otun-Ekiti and paramount ruler of Mobaland, Oba Adekunle Adeagbo, also weighed in, dismissing claims that the Ooni ever conferred the said title.
In a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Akogun Banjo Ayinde, the Oore stressed that there was no evidence to suggest such a conferment took place.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Ooni has never conceived it, talk less of installing anybody as the Okanlomo of Yorubaland. We challenge anyone with verifiable proof to present it. As the natural father of the Yoruba race and spiritual head of the Oduduwa worldwide, the Ooni has the authority to bestow titles when necessary,” the Oore stated.
The development adds a new twist to the supremacy tussle among Yoruba traditional rulers, raising questions over jurisdiction, tradition, and modern power play.
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