L-R: Alaafin, Ooni
By Tunde Balogun
There is a brewing flexing of muscles between two apex Yoruba traditional rulers as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, demanding the immediate revocation of the Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title, which he recently conferred on a businessman Dotun Sanusi.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye.
The Alaafin described the Ooni’s action as an affront to his authority, insisting that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive right to confer titles covering the entire Yorubaland.
According to the Alaafin, the Ooni of exceeding his traditional jurisdiction and disregarding a Supreme Court judgment which, he said, affirmed the Alaafin’s sole prerogative in such matters.
He emphasized that the conferment of chieftaincy titles that concern Yorubaland was the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin.
The traditional noted that the Ooni’s action was unlawful, derogatory, and amounted to going against the authority of the Supreme Court.
He further stressed that the Ooni’s instrument of office limited his traditional powers to Oranmiyan Local Government—now divided into Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South—therefore making the conferment null and void.
The Alaafin therefore warned the Ooni that failure to revoke the title within the stipulated 48 hours would attract dire consequences, cautioning that his peace efforts should not be mistaken for weakness.
The statement reads, “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.
“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 Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order and 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, which had ruled on the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.”
“The instrument of office presented to Oba Ogunwusi, during his installation, specifically limits his traditional area of authority to Oranmiyan Local Government, which has now been split into three Local Governments, viz: Ife Central, Ife North and Ife South.
”The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test and 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.”
