Tension is brewing in the Yoruba traditional hierarchy following a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, demanding that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, revoke the chieftaincy title recently conferred on Ibadan business tycoon, Engineer Dotun Sanusi.
But in a swift reaction, the Palace of the Ooni of Ife has made it clear that the monarch will not respond to what it described as an “empty threat.”
Moses Olafare, the Ooni’s spokesperson, disclosed this in a Facebook post on Tuesday, explaining that Oba Ogunwusi had personally directed him to ignore the statement issued from Oyo.
“My Principal has directed me against issuing a Press Release on the Empty Threat of the Alawada Babasala. We cannot dignify the ‘undignifyable’ with an official response,” Olafare wrote. “We leave the matter to be handled in the public court of opinion, as it is already being treated. Let’s rather focus on narratives that unite us rather than the ones capable of dividing us. No Press Release please (sic) 48 Hours My Foot!!!”
The development followed a strongly-worded statement by the Alaafin of Oyo on Monday, where Oba Owoade accused the Ooni of exceeding his authority by bestowing a Yoruba-wide title. According to the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the action was “an affront” and a direct challenge to the sacred institution of the Alaafin.
“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 further warned that if the Ooni failed to withdraw the title within 48 hours, “consequences will follow.”
This is not the first time Yoruba monarchs have clashed over the conferment of traditional titles. In 1991, the late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, protested when the late Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuade, conferred the title of Akinrogun of Yorubaland on Chief Tom Ikimi, describing it as an aberration and a desecration of the institution.
The latest rift between the Ooni and the Alaafin underscores the recurring tussle for authority within the Yoruba traditional leadership structure, a matter that has repeatedly stirred public debate over roles, hierarchy, and the boundaries of royal power.
