The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, will not be responding to the threat and 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, a statement from the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, has revealed.
The conflict centres on a recent chieftaincy title conferred by the Ooni on an Ibadan-based businessman.
The Alaafin had issued the ultimatum, demanding that the Ooni revoke the title of “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” bestowed upon Chief Dotun Sanusi, the owner of Ilaji Hotels and Resorts.
In a statement on Monday, the Alaafin described the Ooni’s action as an “affront” to his authority and a disregard for Yoruba tradition and law.
The Alaafin’s office maintained that only the Alaafin of Oyo holds the exclusive right to confer chieftaincy titles that cover the entire Yorubaland.
In a terse response via his facebook handle, Moses Olafare stated that his principal has directed against issuing a formal press release on the matter, calling the Alaafin’s threat an “empty threat.”
“My Principal has directed me against issuing a Press Release on the Empty Threat of the Alawada Babasala. I beg to disappoint you, gentlemen of the press,” Olafare wrote, adding that the matter would be handled in the “public court of opinion.”
Olafare further stated, “Let’s rather focus on narratives that unite us rather than the ones capable of dividing us. No Press Release please (sic) 48 Hours My Foot!!!”
This recent clash emphasises a long-standing rivalry between the two prominent Yoruba monarchs over supremacy and traditional jurisdiction.
Oba Abimbola Owoade ascended the throne as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo in January 2025, and his reign has been marked by renewed claims to the exclusive right to confer titles with a pan-Yoruba scope.
The Alaafin’s statement also referenced a Supreme Court ruling and the Ooni’s instrument of office, which he claimed limits the Ooni’s traditional authority to the Ife region.
