ABUJA — The President of the Yoruba Council Worldwide, Oladotun Hassan, has reaffirmed the Ooni of Ife’s supreme spiritual authority, describing him as the global head of the Yoruba race.
Hassan made the clarification on Friday during an interview on Arise Television, amid ongoing debates over the supremacy tussle between the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo.
“Ooni’s authority is a global authority. That is why we call Ooni, Onirisha,” Hassan said, emphasizing that the Ooni of Ife remains the revered spiritual leader of all Yoruba people worldwide.
He explained that historically, Oyo and other Yoruba towns trace their roots to Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba civilization. According to him, every Yoruba kingdom was established by princes who departed Ile-Ife with crowns but under strict instructions never to wage war against their ancestral source.
“The authority of the Alaafin still recognizes Ile-Ife as the cradle and source of the Yoruba race — that fact cannot be broken,” Hassan stated.
The Yoruba Council president stressed the need for unity, urging Yoruba leaders to foster peace and cooperation between the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo.
“From the stable of the Ooni of Ife, Ọọ̀ni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, is a revered father and the spiritual head of the entire Yoruba race. By definition, we can say the Ooni is the president of the Yoruba race, while the Alaafin is the prime minister, both having concurrent roles to play for the Yoruba nation,” he added.
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