Traditional religion worshippers have intervened in the growing feud between the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, urging restraint and reconciliation even as the Alaafin signalled readiness to publish a Supreme Court judgment which he insists affirms his exclusive right to confer Yoruba-wide chieftaincy titles.
The intervention comes after the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin’s camp, demanding that the Ooni revoke the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title recently bestowed on Ibadan businessman Dotun Sanusi.
Speaking at the 19th annual Isese Festival in Osogbo on Wednesday, Dr. Oluseyi Atanda, President of the Traditional Religion Worshippers Association in Osun State, disclosed that traditional leaders in both Oyo and Osun had begun behind-the-scenes peace efforts.
“It is a warning to all of us that when we don’t do things rightly, things are likely to fall apart. Our elders are gathering in Osun and Oyo to make amends. We have to wade in so that everybody can sheath their swords,” Atanda said, while warning bloggers and social media users against “fueling fire with petrol.”
Atanda reminded Nigerians that such disputes were not new, recalling earlier clashes between the late Ooni Okunade Sijuwade and the late Alaafin Lamidi Adeyemi, and expressed confidence that the current rift “will pass.”
Palace sources in Oyo, however, confirmed that the Alaafin is preparing to release the text of the Supreme Court judgment, which he claims limits the Ooni’s authority to Ife and affirms the Alaafin’s prerogative as paramount ruler to bestow “Yorubaland” titles.
Supporting the Alaafin, the Atóbaáse of Yorubaland, Babajide Agunbiade, described the Ooni’s action as “an attempt to undermine the authority and tradition of the Alaafin.” He urged the Alaafin to pursue legal steps to reaffirm his supremacy, stressing that the powers of the Oyo stool are rooted in history and judicial precedent.
Other cultural leaders, including Ifa scholar Prof. Wande Abimbola, Aare Ona Kakanfo Iba Gani Adams, and the Yoruba Council of Elders, have joined calls for calm. The Yoruba Council Worldwide, in its own appeal, described the feud as “a matter requiring calm, reflection and unity,” urging youths to refrain from disparaging the thrones on social media.
The Council also appealed for the withdrawal of the 48-hour ultimatum and proposed the convocation of a Yoruba Obas Conference to secure a lasting truce.
For now, all attention is on Oyo, where the Alaafin is expected to unveil the much-cited Supreme Court judgment — a move that could reshape the balance of authority within the Yoruba traditional hierarchy.
