Alaafin of Oyo Gives Ooni of Ife 48 Hours to Undo ‘Okanlomo of Yorubaland’ Title or Face the Heat
By: Oluwaseun Lawal
The heat is on. The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has thrown down the gauntlet. He’s given the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, just 48 hours to revoke the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland recently handed to businessman Dotun Sanusi, popularly known as Ilaji. If not? Well, there will be consequences. Serious ones.
This isn’t just a small spat between two traditional rulers. No, it’s a clash of titans. The Alaafin, who calls himself the Titan of Yorubaland, insists that the power to confer titles that cover the whole of Yorubaland belongs to him alone. Period. No exceptions.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin didn’t mince words. He called the Ooni’s move an outright affront to his authority. He accused the Ooni of stepping way out of line, ignoring a Supreme Court ruling that clearly states the Alaafin’s exclusive right to bestow such titles.
The Alaafin’s point is simple: the Ooni’s power is limited. His traditional jurisdiction covers only the Oranmiyan Local Government area—which has since been split into Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South. So, any title that claims to cover all Yorubaland? That’s not his to give. It’s null and void.
And the Alaafin is not just talking tradition here. He’s talking law. The Supreme Court has spoken. The Ooni’s action? Unlawful. Disrespectful. A slap in the face to the highest court in the land.
The statement reads like a warning shot: “The attention of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has been drawn to the purported conferment of chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.”
It goes on: “The conferment of chieftaincy title which borders on Yorubaland by the Ooni of Ife is not only an affront to the referred institution of the Alaafin, who is the Titan of Yorubaland, and on whom holds exclusive right to confer any chieftaincy title which covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.”
The Alaafin didn’t hold back. He accused the Ooni of acting like he’s above the law. Like no one can check him or call him to order. “Because of that ‘above the law’ syndrome of his, he is in the habit of walking on everybody’s back including the apex court in the country, the Supreme Court,” the statement said.
The Alaafin reminded everyone that the Ooni’s instrument of office clearly limits his authority to the Oranmiyan Local Government area. And since that area has been divided into three, the Ooni’s power is even more restricted.
“The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test,” the statement warns. “The reality of our time makes it very obligatory for the Alaafin to call the Ooni of Ife to order and demand revocation of the so-called Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 HOURS or face the consequences.”
You can almost feel the tension in the air. This isn’t just about a title. It’s about respect. Authority. Tradition. And the rule of law.
The Alaafin’s peace efforts, he says, should not be mistaken for weakness. This is a serious matter. And the clock is ticking.
Will the Ooni back down? Will he revoke the title? Or will this escalate into a full-blown crisis between two of Yorubaland’s most powerful monarchs?
Only time will tell. But one thing is clear: the battle for the soul of Yorubaland’s traditions is far from over.