The simmering dispute between two of Yorubaland’s foremost monarchs deepened this week as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, declined to respond to a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, demanding the withdrawal of a chieftaincy title conferred on Ibadan businessman, Engineer Dotun Sanusi.
Oba Ogunwusi’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, revealed on Tuesday, August 19, that the Ooni had instructed his palace not to issue any formal statement regarding the threat.
In a Facebook post, Olafare said the monarch would not engage in a public confrontation with the Alaafin.
“My Principal has directed me against issuing a press release on the empty threat of the Alawada Babasala.
“We cannot dignify the ‘undignifiable’ with an official response. 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. 48 hours my foot!!!” Olafare wrote.
The controversy began after the Ooni conferred the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Sanusi, a respected Ibadan-based business mogul.
The Alaafin, however, rejected the move, describing it as both an “affront” and a “direct challenge” to his authority.
In a statement signed by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, Oba Owoade insisted that only the Alaafin has the power to bestow Yoruba-wide titles, citing a Supreme Court ruling in support of his position.
“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 statement read.
“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.”
Oba Owoade warned that “consequences will follow” if the Ooni fails to withdraw the title within 48 hours.
This clash is not without precedent. In 1991, the late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, protested against a similar move by the late Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuade, who conferred a Yoruba-wide chieftaincy title on politician Chief Tom Ikimi.
At the time, Oba Adeyemi described the act as a “desecration of the sacred institution.”
For now, however, the Ooni appears determined not to be drawn into a direct exchange, leaving the matter to public opinion and historical judgment.
