Royal Rumble: Alaafin Gives Ooni 48hrs to Revoke Chieftaincy Title Conferment

Royal Rumble: Alaafin Gives Ooni 48hrs to Revoke Chieftaincy Title Conferment

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

A fresh royal controversy is brewing in Yorubaland as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has given the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, 48 hours to revoke the conferment of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Ibadan-based businessman, Engineer Dotun Sanusi.

In a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, the Paramount Ruler of Oyo Kingdom described the Ooni’s action as “an affront” to the revered institution of the Alaafin, who he maintained holds the exclusive right to confer any chieftaincy title covering the entire Yorubaland.

“The conferment of chieftaincy title which borders on Yorubaland by the Ooni of Ife is not only an affront to the institution of the Alaafin, but a violation of the Supreme Court ruling which affirmed that only the Alaafin reserves the authority to bestow such titles across Yorubaland,” the statement read.

The Alaafin accused the Ooni of “behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order,” stressing that such actions undermine the unity and peace of Yorubaland.

According to the statement, the instrument of office presented to the Ooni during his installation limits his traditional authority to Oranmiyan Local Government, now divided into 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. 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 title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 hours or face the consequences,” the statement warned.

Recalling Oba Owoade’s earlier peace initiatives during his unity tour to Yoruba monarchs, Durojaiye said the Alaafin had consistently preached unity as the foundation for development in Yorubaland.

Quoting the Alaafin, the statement added: “It is the joy of our forefathers for us to be in unity, and they did their part in ensuring peace in Yorubaland. We must also strive to achieve this, because no meaningful and sustainable development will come without peace and unity.”

The statement concluded by accusing the Ooni of misconstruing the Alaafin’s peace initiative as weakness, thereby taking “decisions that are not only ultra vires but also derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland.”