Political undertones may worsen Alaafin, Ooni’s tussle for supremacy

The current rift between the new Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has rekindled the century-old rivalry between the two most prominent ancient towns and chieftaincy titles of the Yoruba race in Southwest Nigeria.

Although the power struggle over supremacy and seniority did not just begin, it has existed for long but not as open and pronounced as the ongoing battle, which has now brought criticism, condemnation, and mixed reactions among the people of the Southwest.

The fresh brouhaha, which was as a result of the 48-hour ultimatum issued to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, by the Alaafin, Oba Owoade, to withdraw the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Odua of Yorubaland bestowed on an Ibadan business mogul, Dotun Sanusi, has continued generating a lot of heat among the Yoruba. It has also divided them into camps, with political connotations brought into it.

While the arguments over who is superior and who has the rights and power to confer such a chieftaincy title rage on, some people have started bringing politics into it based on Chief Sanusi’s intention to contest the governorship of Oyo State after the exit of Governor Seyi Makinde in 2027.

The man Sanusi, who brought about the fight, although he has not made known the platform he will use for the governorship contest, is seen as one of the most outstanding in Oyo State to occupy the Agodi Government House, with his influence and philanthropic gestures among the people.

Politics in Tradition

This was the reason the title given to him by Oba Ogunwusi is now having different interpretations and seen as what could boost his aspiration among other aspirants. Those who were opposed to his aspirations now saw this as an opportunity to create controversy over the title and who has the authority to confer it on anyone.

Ordinarily, the title of Okanlomo has no relevance to the historical perspective of the Yoruba race and carries no weight, unlike the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, which is why some elders and prominent Yoruba leaders were surprised by the fuss and controversy now surrounding the matter.

When Oba Owoade first issued the ultimatum to Oba Ogunwusi, it was the Council of Mogajis, the compound heads in Ibadan, that first attacked the Alaafin and called him to order, saying he lacked such authority to query the Ooni. They looked at his action not only as an affront to the Ooni but as an insult on the people of Ibadanland.

In a statement signed by the President of Ibadan Mogajis, Asimiyu Ariori, and the Coordinator of Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI), Nurudeen Akinade, on behalf of the Ibadan stakeholders, they stated that Alaafin Owoade’s position was an affront to Ibadanland.

They noted that the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland was conferred on Sanusi years ago by Oba Ogunwusi during an event at Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resorts, stressing that the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, never opposed the honour, which was done while he was Alaafin, and wondered why Oba Owoade is bringing this up now.

The stakeholders further argued that Alaafin’s statements were not only “provocative and divisive,” but an insult, and condemned him for trying to extend unnecessary conflicts to Ibadanland.

Apart from people from Ibadan, other stakeholders in Yorubaland have expressed divergent opinions about this, and both the historical and cultural implications of the Alaafin’s statement are now being brought into focus.

Also, both traditional rulers and traditionalists in Yorubaland are not keeping quiet about the matter, which they believe could not be trifled with at this crucial period when everything in Nigeria is now being politicized.

Cautious Positions

A traditional ruler in Osun, the Olukosi of Ilukosi-Ijesa, Osun State, Oba Omotooyosi Akinleye, in a post shared on his official X handle, warned against actions capable of undermining the authority of the Ooni, whom he described as the custodian of the ancestral throne of the Yoruba people.

The Olukosi maintained that while Yoruba monarchs hold influence within their domains, Ooni remains the spiritual father of the race. “Alaafin’s authority ends in Oyo land. Owa Obokun’s authority ends in Ijesaland. Awujale’s authority ends in Ijebu land. Alake’s authority ends in Egba land.”

According to him, “the throne of Oduduwa, occupied by the Ooni of Ife, represents the heritage of all Yoruba people,” adding that disputes over titles and recognitions should not degenerate into confrontations among traditional rulers.

Another traditional ruler in Yorubaland known for his frankness and neutrality in comments on traditional and political issues, the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, who is the Vice Chairman of Oyo State Traditional Council, Oba Francis Olushola Alao, cautioned supporters of both kings to stop ongoing media comments capable of escalating the crisis.

Oba Alao said he had discussed with both leading monarchs and confirmed that they are both interested in unity and peace in Yorubaland. The monarch argued that the ongoing controversy was unnecessary and speculative.

In his reaction to the crisis, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, said he had contacted Yoruba leaders to look into the feud.

He said there should be great concern about the crisis between the two traditional rulers, saying, “That is why both political and cultural leaders in Yorubaland should come up with how to resolve the matter.”

Chief Gani Adams argued that his intervention was to prevent the opening of old wounds in the interest of unity in Yorubaland.

He pointed out, “It is an issue between two fathers. I have been calling Yoruba leaders to look for a way to resolve it. We don’t want the unity of Yorubaland to be tampered with now.

“Anything that happens between your two fathers, you must look for a way to resolve it amicably. We don’t want to open our old wounds in public.”

“Apart from the individual leaders in socio-cultural circles, our political leaders have a role to play, and our real fathers have a role to play. We know that the issue has been lingering for a long time. But in the long run, I believe it will be resolved soon.”

Blame for Colonialists

As the situation is still boiling, the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) is not folding its arms and has hinted that efforts are going on to end the rifts and calm down the matter while appeals are being made to the rulers to shun further actions that could escalate the issue and bring the Yoruba race into disrepute.

Secretary-General of YCE, Mr. Oladipo Oyewole, in an interview, said there was the need for the governors of the two states of the monarchs at war to intervene.

One of the Yoruba organisations believed to be on the side of the Ooni is the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, which believes that the Ooni is the head of all kings in Yorubaland.

Organising Secretary of the group, Abagun Omololu, said that if not for the British, who should be blamed for the confusion they created after dividing Yorubaland into several provinces for their own interests and in order to facilitate governing the region administratively.

The YCE leader pointed out, “During the colonial period, the British deliberately divided Yorubaland into several provinces to facilitate administration, grouping different divisions or districts together. By the 1920s and 1940s, the principal provinces comprised Oyo Province – encompassing Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomoso, Iseyin, Osogbo, Ede, Iwo, and Ilesa; Ondo Province – including Ondo, Owo, and the Ekiti districts (Ado, Ijero, Ikere, Ise/Emure, Ikole), as well as Akoko; Ijebu Province – covering Ijebu Ode, Remo, and Egbado (later Yewa); Abeokuta Province – comprising the Egba towns of Abeokuta, Ibara, Ake, Owu, and others; Colony Province (Lagos) – Lagos and surrounding settlements such as Epe, Ikorodu, and Badagry.”

According to Abagun, the Alaafin’s authority was confined to Oyo Province and constituent towns, while the Ooni’s supremacy transcended provincial boundaries.

He claimed that the evidence of the Ooni’s supremacy is epitomised in the fact that all Yoruba lineages trace their origin to Ile-Ife.

Abagun stressed, “It is, therefore, historically evident that the Alaafin’s power was largely confined to Oyo Province and its constituent towns. While the Alaafin exercised temporal and political authority within this domain, he never held control over all Yoruba towns.

“By contrast, the Ooni of Ife’s supremacy transcended provincial boundaries, resting on spiritual, ancestral, and cultural legitimacy. All Yoruba lineages trace their origin to Ile-Ife, recognising the Ooni as the primordial custodian of their heritage.”

It will be recalled that the issue between Oba Ogunwusi of Ife and Oba Owoade began shortly after the coronation of Oba Owoade as the Alaafin of Oyo.

Old Wounds

Two occasions manifested when the two rulers shunned themselves. The incidents are when the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, commissioned the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) centre in Ibadan, built under the Renewed Hope initiative, when the Alaafin Owoade refused to stand up to greet Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi when he came in for the ceremony.

This incident caught the attention of Nigerians, especially Yoruba people.

Though there were comments and several reactions afterwards, the matter was not taken seriously. The other incident, which made people sense that one of them was trying to ignite old wounds, was when they both refused to greet during the West African Economic Summit in Abuja in June this year. But the climax of the imbroglio was the issue of Sanusi’s chieftaincy title.

Before Oba Ogunwusi mounted the throne of Ooni, Oba Sijuwade and his counterpart in Oyo, Oba Adeyemi, never bowed to each other based on the fight for superiority.

While Oba Sijuwade never accepted Oba Adeyemi as being superior to him, Oba Adeyemi made it clear to him too that the British recognised the Alaafin as the most superior ruler in the entire Yorubaland.

This crisis caused the unresolved dispute over the chairmanship of the then Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, before Osun State was separated from Oyo. Sijuade had to move to Osun while Adeyemi remained in Oyo. The supremacy issue continued even after Osun State was created until the demise of Oba Sijuwade.

When Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi came to the throne, he quickly moved in to resolve the power tussle and conflicts which existed between the two titles of Ooni and Alaafin.

Both Oba Adeyemi and Ogunwusi were in good and cordial relationships before the demise of Oba Adeyemi.

It would also be recalled that what Oba Owoade did about the chieftaincy of Okanlomo on Sanusi was, in a way, exhuming from the archives what transpired between Oba Olubuse and Oba Adeyemi in 1991, when Oba Sijuwade was to install Chief Tom Ikimi as the Akinrogun of Yorubaland.

Oba Adeyemi then wrote to the then Col Abdulkareem Adisa, who was the Military Governor of Oyo State, and asked him to stop the installation of Ikimi, citing relevant historical facts at his disposal to back his arguments.

Ikimi’s installation was eventually stopped by Adisa.