The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has given the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, a 48-hour ultimatum to revoke the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland recently conferred on businessman Dotun Sanusi, also known as Ilaji, or face consequences.
In a statement signed by his director of media and publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin described the Ooni’s action as an affront to his authority.
He insisted that only the Alaafin has the exclusive right to confer traditional titles that cover the entire Yorubaland.
The statement accused the Ooni of exceeding his traditional jurisdiction and ignoring a Supreme Court ruling affirming the Alaafin’s sole prerogative over such titles. According to the Alaafin, the Ooni’s traditional authority is limited to Oranmiyan Local Government, which now consists of Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South local government areas, making the conferment null and void.
“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order,” the statement read. “Because of that ‘above the law’ syndrome, he is in the habit of walking on everybody’s back, including the apex court in the country, the Supreme Court.”
The Alaafin warned that failure to revoke the title within 48 hours would attract “dire consequences,” emphasizing that his peace efforts should not be mistaken for weakness.
The chieftaincy title was recently conferred on Sanusi, a business tycoon, by the Ooni of Ife, a move the Alaafin called unlawful and derogatory against his institution and authority.
The Alaafin’s office emphasized that “the dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test” and demanded immediate action from the Ooni.