A fierce royal dispute has erupted between the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, over the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland conferred on Ibadan businessman, Dotun Sanusi — www.naijnaira.com reports.
According to Punch, Oba Owoade condemned the Ooni’s action, describing it as an affront to the authority of the Alaafin and a breach of established traditional limits.
The monarch insisted that only the Alaafin reserves the power to bestow titles covering the entirety of Yorubaland, a position he said was validated by the Supreme Court.
In a strongly worded statement signed by his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, Alaafin Owoade accused the Ooni of acting outside his jurisdiction.
“The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test,” he declared, demanding that the Ooni revoke the title within 48 hours “or face the consequences.”
He explained that the Ooni’s authority is restricted to the old Oranmiyan Local Government, which has since been divided into Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South.
Oba Owoade recalled his recent unity tour across Yoruba towns, where he stressed that lasting development cannot be achieved without peace and collaboration among monarchs.
“It is the joy of our forefathers for us to be in unity, and they did their part in ensuring peace and unity in Yorubaland; we must also strive to achieve this,” he said.
The Alaafin argued that his peace-driven efforts are being misinterpreted as weakness, warning that attempts to undermine his role as custodian of Yoruba heritage would not be tolerated.
Efforts to reach the Ooni’s palace for a response were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to his spokesperson, Moses Olafare, went unanswered.
Article updated 3 days ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
