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Okanlomo title: Nigerians await Alaafin’s next move as 48-hour ‘royal ultimatum’ expires

Royal ultimatum’: Nigerians react
Royal battle: The genesis
Alaafin’s 48-hour ultimatum
Ooni’s aide fires back
Pan-Yoruba chieftaincy title: A blast from the past
After 48 hours, what’s Alaafin’s Next move?

The last 48 hours have witnessed different reactions and opinions from Nigerians, particularly among the Yoruba people of the South-West, following a statement released by the office of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, on Monday.Online

The statement, issued by the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, took aim at the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, over the conferment of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Ibadan businessman, Dotun Sanusi.

In the statement, the Alaafin argued that the power to bestow a pan-Yoruba title rests solely with him, insisting that no other Yoruba monarch, including the Ooni, has the right to do so.

The declaration, which has since gone viral and dominated public discourse in recent days, has been met with mixed reactions across the country.


‘Royal ultimatum’: Nigerians react

While some Nigerians backed Alaafin, affirming his right as the sole Yoruba monarch with authority to confer such titles, others dismissed the ultimatum as disrespectful.Online newspaper subscription

Supporting Alaafin’s position, a Nigerian Facebook user, Muiz Agboluaje, wrote, “Supreme Court has already affirmed Alaafin with the sole authority to confer honour on people. I think Ooni should be aware of this. I remembered vividly this case happened between the previous Alaafin and Ooni of Ife.”

Similarly, Ayo Olanitori said, “Alaafin has done the right thing, the record should be set straight once and for all.”

But in a contrary view, another netizen, Wale Sowemimo, wrote, “The Federal Government has placed the Throne of Oni of Ife above every other kingship thrones in Yoruba land!

“Probably The Alaafin just wants to flaunt his colorful feathers to remind Aso Rock that The Iku Baba Yeye too dey available to jointly chair the Nigerian Traditional Council with a Northern Emir.”

Olagoke Ironimi also criticised the Alaafin, saying, “This new Alafin is overstepping his boundaries. If your traditional power surpasses Ooni of Ife, why were you not recognized by the constitutional law of the country that recognized Sultan of Sokoto and Ooni of Ife as the traditional supreme leaders?”

Some Nigerians, however, refused to take sides, instead calling for peace and unity among the highly referred monarchs.Online newspaper subscription

Adesuyi Ajayi wrote, “The Monarchs should stay in their lanes. We don’t need all this turbulence. Haba. This is how Monarchy will become obsolete.”

Oluwaseun Peters added, “What a misplaced priority! Southwest has been a geo-political desert long time ago due to all these supremacy battles. It is better we retrace our missing steps instead of all these unnecessary and useless claims!”


Royal battle: The genesis

The renewed rivalry between the two foremost Yoruba monarchs surfaced following the revival of reports that the Ooni had conferred the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Chief Dotun Sanusi.

Checks by Tribune Online revealed that the title had initially been conferred on Sanusi five years ago during the reign of the late Alaafin Adeyemi III, but the formal installation was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the matter seemed to have resurfaced after the Ooni praised Sanusi during a broadcast on Ilaji 91.9 FM on Saturday, commending his visionary establishment of Ilaji Radio, which he described as a platform that would showcase Yoruba culture, values, and heritage to the world.

Barely 48 hours later, the Alaafin’s palace issued a strongly worded statement condemning the conferment of any pan-Yoruba title by a monarch other than the Alaafin.


Alaafin’s 48-hour ultimatum

Oba Owoade, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Bode Durojaiye, accused the Ooni of consistently overstepping his bounds, acting beyond his traditional jurisdiction, and disregarding a Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the Alaafin’s exclusive authority in such matters.

He argued that the Ooni’s instrument of office restricts his powers to Oranmiyan Local Government, which has since been divided into Ife Central, Ife North and Ife South.

The statement therefore demanded that the title be revoked within 48 hours, warning that failure to comply would attract consequences.

The statement partly reads, “The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test and the reality of our time makes it very obligatory for the Alaafin to call the Ooni of Ife to order and demand REVOCATION of the so-called OKANLOMO of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi WITHIN 48 HOURS or face the consequences.”


Ooni’s aide fires back

Within 24 hours of the ultimatum, Moses Olafare, Director of Media and Public Affairs to the Ooni of Ife, dismissed the threat. He said the Ooni would not dignify the statement with an official response, describing the ultimatum as “empty.”

Olafare explained that his principal considered Alaafin’s warning unworthy of a reply and had chosen to leave the matter to public opinion.

He wrote, “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.

“We can not dignify the undignifyable with an official response. We leave the matter to be handled in the public court of opinion as it is already being treated.

“Let’s rather focus on narratives that unite us rather than the ones capable of dividing us.

“No Press Release pls🙏🏻48 Hours My Foot!!!”


Pan-Yoruba chieftaincy title: A blast from the past

While the Okanlomo title has stirred heated debate, this is not the first time such a development has created tension between the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo.

A similar power struggle over the right to confer a pan-Yoruba chieftaincy title erupted in 1991, when the then Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, sought to bestow the Akinrogun of Yorubaland title on the then National Republican Convention (NRC) chairman, Chief Tom Ikimi.

The late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, strongly cautioned Ikimi against accepting the title, dismissing it as baseless. His stance prompted intervention from then Oyo State military Governor, Col. AbdulKareem Adisa, who ordered the Ooni to suspend the conferment.

But Oba Sijuwade defied the order, and his palace issued a statement hours later confirming the title would proceed. Signed by the Ooni’s deputy, Chief S. F. Omisakin, the statement explained that Ikimi was being honoured as “Akinrogun from the source (Ile-Ife),” dismissing the Alaafin’s claim to an “Akinrogun of Yorubaland” title.

Despite the dispute, the ceremony went ahead, with the state government later clarifying that while the Ooni could confer titles, his authority was limited to Ile-Ife.


After 48 hours, what’s Alaafin’s Next move?

While Nigerians await the next move of the Alaafin, it will be recalled that Oba Owoade, in his warning statement, claimed that a Supreme Court judgment had ruled that only the Alaafin of Oyo holds the exclusive right to confer chieftaincy titles that cover the entire Yorubaland.Online newspaper subscription

“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no Authority to check and call him to order and because of that “above the law” syndrome of his, he is in the habit of walking on everybody’s’ back including the apex Court in the country, the Supreme Court, which had ruled on the Exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.”

However, Tribune Online could not verify the Supreme Court judgment as of the time of filing this report. It also remains unclear whether Alaafin will seek a judicial interpretation of the acclaimed ruling as part of his next steps.

When contacted, the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, told Tribune Online that there is currently no decision on the next course of action, but any move would be communicated at the appropriate time.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/okanlomo-title-nigerians-await-alaafins-next-move-as-48-hour-royal-ultimatum-expires-today/#google_vignette

Nothing will happen. Traditional rulers don't have much influence anymore.

If the man do too much they will just dethrone and banish him to one little village

All these governor appointed kings will not let us rest.

We have more crucial issues to attend to and not all these royal titles brouhaha.

If they are serious about the rift, MIC and Ebony casket should have gotten at least one purchase order.

We have king Solomon (Ooni of Ife) and solo makinde (baale of Oyo)

He can't do nothing, nada, zilch. Infact less than nothing. Yorubas and their useless "kings"

You see as that Oyo boy from Canada Dey disgrace himself?

Omihanifa:
Nothing will happen. Traditional rulers don't have much influence anymore.

If the man do too much they will just dethrone and banish him to one little village

Why would Osun government banish him to a little village over mere chieftaincy title to some unknown individual? He will just change the title to Okanlomo of Ife. That's what Oba Sijuwade did when confronted. Case closed.

Agbero Alaafin. What can he do? NOTHING. He just wants to be in the news and this time for wrong reasons. Nobody liked him from when he was forced on the people by his friend, Makinde.

NOTHING WILL HAPPEN,,, Although what Ooni did was really wrong but na two elephants dey fight make anybody nor put head ooo.

Maybe he want to assault the ooni the way he assaulted one of the chiefs he accused of been loyal to the ooni few months ago which eventually led to his death

DoctorStanley:
He can't do nothing, nada, zilch. Infact less than nothing. Yorubas and their useless "kings"

Your King is still with DSS happy wearing Fendi everyday. He threatened that heaven will fall if anything happens to him. His followers did the same. The end result amounted only to a distabilized Igboland and the running away of Igbos from their homes because Igbos ended up killing one another.

Okanlomo title: JOBLESS NIGERIANS await Alaafin’s next move as 48-hour ‘royal ultimatum’ expires

You know the Ooni married different women from different religions and traditions, some are even Olokun pikin ..so the Alaffin needs to calm down, you don't want to be fighting your Oracle when you have not immerse yourself in the art of controlling the ancestral Powers.

The same way his predecessor gave empty threat and nothing happen till today, he too, has started disgracing himself.

No king authority extends beyond his domain, people should stop gravitate over expired empire, not even kings that are under local government chairmen.

Una too like Wahala. We all know that nothing will come out of it except the resumption of the cold supremacy battle.

Honestly, they shouldn't have gone public with this. Dirty linens are washed privately.

Oranmiyan, the progenitor of the Oyo empire is a scion of Oduduwa and was also an Ooni of Ife.

The two dynasties share the same ancestry, so the Alaafin and the Ooni are brothers.

Which Nigerians? Wetin concern me with these people?

From the book of history, Alaafin of Oyo empire is the real son of Oduduwa with first hand access to his dynasty. Oranmiyan being the last son of Okanbi, after his other six brothers has left Ile-ife, appointed Adimula as a place holder when he was about to leave.

Oranmiyan eventually settle at present Oyo empire and became first Alaafin. It was learnt that all Yoruba King's were used to pay homages to only Alaafin as supreme king in Yoruba land. The Ooni title/ rulling houses in Ile-Ife Town of today are lineage of Placeholder Adimula.

If we are to judge by history, Ile-Ife is ancestral home of Yoruba, and Alaafin of Oyo is the head of Oduduwa (the founder of Yoruba ethnic) dynasty. Therefore, he is the one in right position to appoint Yoruba cultural leaders.

But in another instance, if Oranmiyan 6 other brothers could not return to claim their father's throne, Alaafin too should not be poking noses on what is going on in his ancestral home. If he is to claim right, he should simply fight for his father throne and become Ooni, even in far away Oyo empire.

Maybe someone who know better can enlighten me on this.

This young Alafin should chill and slow down.
He will eventually have the clout and power to over shine the Oni but not now.

Looks like the key issue has been tactically resolved as was done in the widely circulated clash of the titans in 1991. I just saw this post:

"The latest title as announced by the man to be conferred, Dotun Sanusi shows clearly Okanlomo Odua. The man Jubril Dotun Sanusi wrote that clearly on his Facebook account 12hrs ago, only for Bode Durojaiye to rush to his page 6hrs after and start warning on behalf of the king with lies of "Yorubaland" usage. Anyone can search these posts which I will put in comment box."

The implication is that this title in question is Okanlomo Odua of Ile-Ife and never of Yorubaland.

Una go wait tire. Una here.

Ps: The man just disgraced himself.

1903 article..

The Alaafin just like other Obas slept outside their palace in honour of the greatest Yoruba king, the Ooni, on his visit to Lagos in 1903 to settle querel between the Elepe and Akarigbo.

The Ooni is a god king. A 1930 Bini dictionary called the Ooni "the Oghenne".

Goodvibes007:
Una go wait tire. Una here.

Ps: The man just disgraced himself.

Actually it was a power move by Alaafin's side. The message clearly sent out is that Ooni has no authority to appoint a chief of Yorubaland. No Ooni has ever done that. Only Alaafin does that and this was re-affirmed as recently as 1988 when the appointment of MKO Abiola as Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland was challenged in court.

You mean the toothless alafin....
200 more characters needes

What do u 3xpect from a toothless bull dog. The Alafin has lost my respect with the savage letter sent to the ooni of ife. Interestingly the said title is actually the okanlomo of oduduwa not Yoruba land. In his childish wisdom he choose to issue an empty and baseless treat without clarification from is grand father, the Ooni of Ife. Now I see the Canadian link btw rasheed of iwo and the govt installed alafin, both toothless bulldogs.

ajalawole:
What do u 3xpect from a toothless bull dog. The Alafin has lost my respect with the savage letter sent to the oni of ife. Interestingly the said title is actually the okolawon of oduduwa not Yoruba land. In his childish wisdom he choose issue an empty and baseless treat . Now I see the Canadian link btw rasheed of iwo and the govt installed alafin, both toothless bulldogs.

The man think because oyo reigned for 2 centuries, then automatically, that makes him the Supreme king

Slytiger:
1903 article..

The Alaafin just like ither oba slept outside their palace in honour of the greatest Yoruba king the Ooni in his visit to Lagos.

Fake twist and half truths to a story with totally different context. Spiritual context