The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has issued a stern 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, demanding the immediate revocation of a chieftaincy title recently conferred on businessman Dotun Sanusi.
The traditional ruler expressed outrage over what he described as an unauthorized conferment of the title “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” on Sanusi, arguing that such action directly challenges his supreme authority over Yorubaland affairs.
In a strongly-worded statement released Monday through his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, Oba Owoade asserted that the exclusive right to confer chieftaincy titles extending across the entire Yorubaland region rests solely with the Alaafin’s office.
The monarch accused the Ooni of overstepping his constitutional boundaries, stating that his traditional authority is specifically confined to the former Oranmiyan Local Government area, which has since been subdivided into Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South local government areas.
“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order,” the statement declared, criticizing what it termed an “above the law syndrome” that has led the Ife monarch to disregard established traditional hierarchies.
The Alaafin referenced a Supreme Court ruling that allegedly affirmed his exclusive authority to confer chieftaincy titles covering the entire Yorubaland region, suggesting that the Ooni’s recent action constitutes contempt of the apex court’s decision.
Oba Owoade emphasized that his instrument of office grants him supreme traditional authority over Yorubaland matters, while the Ooni’s jurisdiction remains limited to his immediate domain in Osun State.
The ultimatum comes amid ongoing tensions between major Yoruba traditional rulers over spheres of influence and ceremonial precedence. The Alaafin has previously embarked on unity tours across Yorubaland, emphasizing the need for peace and cooperation among traditional institutions for regional development.
“The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test,” the statement warned, indicating that failure to comply with the 48-hour deadline would attract unspecified consequences.
The dispute highlights broader issues surrounding traditional authority structures in Yorubaland, where multiple high-ranking monarchs sometimes claim overlapping jurisdictions over cultural and ceremonial matters.
The businessman at the center of the controversy, Dotun Sanusi, has not publicly commented on the dispute between the two prominent traditional rulers.
