Alaafin Challenges Ooni Over Chieftaincy Title, Demands Revocation Within 48 Hours

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, has openly faulted the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, over the recent conferment of the title Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman Dotun Sanusi. The title was bestowed during the weekend unveiling of 2geda, an indigenous social media and business networking platform, held at Ilaji Hotel in Ibadan, where the Ooni praised Sanusi’s contributions to Yoruba culture and economic advancement as exceptional.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday through his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin argued that the Ooni acted beyond his authority. He insisted that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive right to bestow titles that cover the entire Yorubaland, citing a Supreme Court ruling on the matter. He demanded that the title be revoked within 48 hours, warning that failure to do so would attract consequences.

Oba Owoade accused the Ooni of consistently disregarding boundaries of traditional authority, saying, “The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to call him to order. His actions give the impression that he is above the law, but the dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to the test.” He further stressed that the Ooni’s jurisdiction is limited to his domain, comprising Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South Local Government Areas, and therefore does not extend across Yorubaland.

The Alaafin, who described himself as a peace-builder, warned against attempts to undermine unity among Yoruba monarchs. He recalled earlier efforts to foster harmony, stressing that lasting development in Yorubaland cannot be achieved without peace. According to him, the Ooni’s actions were “not only ultra vires but derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland.”

Attempts to reach the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, for reaction were unsuccessful as calls and messages to his phone went unanswered at the time of filing this report.