I said it that Bini people will not accept that the throne of Ooni, not the individual, is senior to that of the Oba of Benin. In fact, the matter has started generating traditional controversy. Read their reaction:

Following the statement credited to the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo that the Oba of Benin is the third in the ranking of kings in the old Western region, the Palace of the Oba of Benin has dismissed this as untrue.

The Esogban of Benin and Odionwere of the Kingdom (traditional head), Chief David Edebiri, said
the Ooni of Ife was a son of the Oba of Benin, and that the stool of the Oba of Benin could not be compared with that of any Yoruba King.

Esogban,who is third in command in the palace of the Oba of Benin, said: “We wanted to discard this report as something that was not necessary at all. We do not see how the Alake of Egbaland suddenly woke up to think that the Oba of Benin is also a Yoruba Oba. There is no basis for such classification; Oba of Benin has nothing to do with the Yoruba Obas. It is simply unnecessary, unless they simply want to stir up an unnecessary controversy.

“We are not in Yorubaland. To be frank, it is because many of them are not willing to come up with the
- See more at: http://www.mcebisco.com/2016/02/ooni-of-ife-is-too-small-said-by-oba-of.html#sthash.pr3WAMfQ.dpuf