The Yoruba traditional institution, once upheld as the custodian of tradition and moral compass of society, is facing a new kind of storm, not from rival kingdoms but from the era of ‘ring lights’ and social media ‘clout chase’.
The recent rift between the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has shifted what was once sacred royal discussion into hot topics for online in-laws and netizens.
In an Instagram video on Tuesday, Oluwo claimed that the Ooni conspired to “set him up” through his estranged Canadian wife, Chanel Chin, whom he divorced in 2019.
According to him, the marriage was orchestrated as a plot to end his reign and even his life. He further claimed that the Ooni accommodated and lodged her in hotels after their separation.
What once would have been resolved within palace walls is now broadcast through smartphones, ring lights, and livestreams, leaving social media users as the new jury in matters of royal dignity.
Since ascending the Iwo throne, Oba Akanbi has been outspoken critic of the Ooni’s authority.
In 2018, he accused Ooni’s bodyguards of humiliating him during a public event in Port Harcourt, an incident the Ooni’s palace firmly denied. Later, he controversially argued that an Iwo prince could become Ooni, citing ancestral ties to Oduduwa.
In 2020, he was suspended for six months by the Osun State Council of Obas after a public altercation with another monarch. He dismissed the suspension as void but eventually accepted it.
More recently, in September, the Oluwo declared that Ile-Ife is not the origin of the Yoruba race. “Ife has no Yoruba culture,” he said in a Facebook broadcast, adding that Iwo holds the “real history of the race.”
This statement stirred a response from Ife, with Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, stating that “no reasonable person will react to Oluwo’s comments.”
The Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ekiti, Oba Akinwande Ogundana, warned that Oluwo’s frequent derogatory remarks could undermine the sanctity of revered stools. “The Oluwo should be called to order,” he urged.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke also cautioned monarchs against “acts capable of creating discord,” stressing their roles as custodians of peace.
“We cannot afford a situation where royal fathers are seen openly fighting one another,” he said in a statement.
Once upon a time, kings settled disputes in palaces; today, they settle them on Instagram. What happened to the sacred thrones? If kings are fighting online like influencers, who then settles disputes in society?
