Alaafin, Ooni And Chieftancy Title: What Are The Issues?

The simmering rivalry between two of Yorubaland’s most revered traditional rulers, the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife, has once again come to the fore following a sharp disagreement over the conferment of a chieftaincy title.

At the weekend, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, conferred the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Ibadan-based businessman, Engineer Dotun Sanusi.

The event, held during the unveiling of 2geda, an indigenous social media and business networking platform at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan, was described by the Ooni as a recognition of Sanusi’s “unparalleled commitment to the cultural and economic growth of the Yoruba race.”

However, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, swiftly rejected the move, accusing the Ooni of overstepping his traditional authority.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday through his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin demanded that the title be revoked within 48 hours or the Ooni should “face the consequences.”

“The attention of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has been drawn to the purported conferment of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi,” the statement read.

“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and 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, which had ruled on the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer any chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland.”

Who Holds Greater Authority?

At the heart of the dispute lies the question of hierarchy in Yorubaland’s traditional structure. Historically, both the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife command deep cultural significance: the Ooni as the spiritual custodian of the Yoruba people, and the Alaafin as the political authority with sovereignty traced back to the old Oyo Empire.

Court rulings and traditional protocols, however, have long emphasized that only the Alaafin has the exclusive authority to bestow titles with jurisdiction over the entire Yorubaland. The Ooni’s authority, by contrast, is officially limited to Ile-Ife and its surrounding areas, specifically Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South Local Government Areas.

This was the basis of Oba Owoade’s warning, as he accused the Ooni of undermining Yoruba unity and disregarding his peace-building efforts.

Consequences For Defiance

The Alaafin’s 48-hour ultimatum raises the question of what consequences might follow if the Ooni refuses to comply. While no direct sanctions over a traditional ruler are spelt out in law, Oba Owoade’s threat suggests that the matter could escalate either through legal channels, relying on the earlier Supreme Court ruling, or through cultural and political pressure within Yoruba traditional institutions.

“The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test,” the Alaafin warned. “The Ooni must revoke the so-called Okanlomo of Yorubaland title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 hours or face the consequences.”