Supremacy Clash: Alaafin issues Ooni ultimatum to revoke chieftaincy title conferred on businessman

The Alaafin said that the Ooni overstepped his authority and his action is an affront to his office and a disregard for tradition and the law

A bitter royal supremacy battle is brewing among two of the highest kings in Yorubaland.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, to reverse the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland conferred on businessman Dotun Sanusi.

In a statement by Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity, the Alaafin said that the Ooni overstepped his authority and his action is an affront to his office and a disregard for tradition and the law.

In the strongly worded statement, he cited a Supreme Court ruling that states that only the Alaafin has the exclusive right to confer on any individual a chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland.

He emphasised that the instrument of office presented to the Ooni during his installation limits his traditional authority to Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South Local Government Areas of Osun State, and does not permit him to confer titles with Yoruba-wide significance.

“The conferment of chieftaincy title which bothers 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 who hold 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,” he stated.

The Alaafin warned that failure to revoke the title within the stipulated 48 hours would attract “dire consequences”. He did not provide the details of such retaliatory actions. He further cautioned that his peace efforts should not be mistaken for weakness.

He reiterated the importance of unity and peace in Yorubaland, stating that meaningful development can only thrive when hierarchy and tradition are respected.

“It seems the Ooni of Ife is misconceiving the Alaafin, Paramount with the Heart of Gold, and his peace initiative, as as the symbol of his stimulity, hence taking taking decisions that are not only ultra vires, but derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland,” the statement read.

Many are likely to see this clash as lending credence to months of speculations about a subtle hostility between the two kings since the time Alaafin Owoade ascended the throne earlier this year.

As the speculations of a fraught relationship between the two top Yoruba traditional rulers gained traction, the Alaafin, after his visit to the Oluwo of Iwo, Abdulrasheed Akanbi, in June, denied rift between him and the Ooni.

He explained that he had yet to visit the Ooni only as a result of scheduling issues and not any disagreement between them.  

A viral video would later emerge online that month portraying the Alaafin as snubbing the Ooni during the West Africa Economic Summit in Abuja. But the Ooni dismissed the video as misleading and mischievously edited.

“The edited video only showed the Alaafin walking past the Ooni, completely ignoring the prior warm interaction between them,” the statement by Ooni’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, said after the video went viral in June. “The Alaafin actually bypassed his own reserved seat to greet the Ooni first — a mark of respect which Oba Ogunwusi graciously reciprocated by rising to welcome him.”

The Okanlomo title

The Okanlomo title is typically conferred by traditional rulers on esteemed individuals within their domains. For instance, there are titles like Okanlomo of Offa, Okanlomo of Lagos, Okanlomo of Ijebu-Imushin.

However, the Ooni of Ife’s recent conferment of the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title on Dotun Sanusi has sparked controversy, as it implies a Yoruba-wide significance that may exceed the Ooni’s jurisdiction.

The right to confer Yoruba-wide titles on individuals, which has its root in the supremacy rivalry between the two traditional stools, was a touchy issue that strained the relationships between the previous Ooni and Alaafin.

Mr Sanusi is not the first person to be given a Yoruba-wide title by Ooni Ogunwusi. Last year, the king installed a businessman, Muraina Olashile Alexandra, as Agbakin Bashorun of Yoruba land and his wife, Esther Taiwo Murina, as Yeye Agbakin Bashorun. The Alaafin stool was vacant at the time.

The previous Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, conferred Mayegun of Yorubaland title on Fuji music icon, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, KWAM 1.

On his Facebook page, Mr Sanusi, who is said to be in line for the seat of Olubadan, expressed heartfelt appreciation for the title.

“I am deeply honoured to announce that I have been officially conferred the title of Okanlomo Oodua by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II).

“A heartfelt thank you to the Ooni for his kind words and recognition of my commitment to the cultural and economic growth of Yorubaland,” he said.

However, observers who are knowledgeable about matters of traditional hierarchy and culture raised concern about the development.

They wondered what he intends to do with the title since he is in line for the seat of Olubadan.

In 2023, the late 42nd Olubadan, Olalekan Balagun, elevated Mr Sanusi to the title of Jagun Olubadan of Ibadanland, making him one of the persons on the civil line of the Olubadan chieftaincy system.