Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade I, has ignited a fresh controversy over chieftaincy

Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade I, has ignited a fresh controversy over chieftaincy titles that carry the name “Yorubaland.” Speaking on Sunday at the Aganju Forecourt of Aafin Oyo during the installation of Senator Abdul‑Aziz Yari as Obaloyin of Yorubaland and Mr Seyi Tinubu as Okanlomo of Yorubaland, the monarch asserted that only the Oyo throne possesses the authority to confer such pan‑Yoruba titles. He described chieftaincy as a solemn duty rather than decorative favour, tracing the Alaafin’s coordinating role back to the earliest political organisation of the Yoruba people and noting that colonial and post‑independence records, as well as scholars, have recognised this authority. He quoted the Supreme Court as confirming that titles bearing “Yorubaland” fall under the exclusive purview of the Alaafin  ¹.

Opposing the claim, Afenifere’s Organising Secretary Kole Omololu argued that the Alaafin’s position collapses under law and history. He cited the 1999 Constitution (as amended), pointing out that chieftaincy matters are within the legislative competence of individual states and that no traditional ruler has supra‑regional authority. Omololu added that the Alaafin’s recognition by the Oyo State governor limits his jurisdiction to Oyo State alone and that the Oyo Empire’s historical reach does not translate into legal authority in modern Nigeria. He also said no Supreme Court ruling has granted the Alaafin exclusive “Yorubaland” authority  ¹.

Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, a high Ifa priest, offered a third perspective, insisting that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, remains the supreme authority over Yorubaland. He explained that while the Ooni is the spiritual head, the Alaafin historically held political power, and the rivalry between the two thrones stems from colonial interventions that disrupted Yoruba tradition. Elebuibon emphasised that Ile‑Ife is the source from which other thrones derive authority and that, by tradition, the Ooni is the most superior among Yoruba monarchs 

The dispute has escalated, with the Alaafin issuing a 48‑hour ultimatum to the Ooni to revoke the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title conferred on businessman Dotun Sanusi, warning of consequences if ignored