The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has issued a stern warning to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, demanding the revocation of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland conferred on business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, within 48 hours or face consequences.
In a press statement signed by Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, the monarch described the conferment as “an affront to the revered stool of the Alaafin who is the Titan of Yorubaland, and the only authority with the exclusive right to confer any chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland.”
According to the statement, “The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order. 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 a chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland.”
The Alaafin maintained that the conferment by the Ooni was outside his jurisdiction. “The instrument of office presented to Oba Ogunwusi during his installation specifically limits his traditional area of authority to Oranmiyan Local Government, which has now been split into Ife Central, Ife North and Ife South,” the statement noted.
Reiterating his demand, the monarch declared: “The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test. We demand the revocation of the so-called Okanlomo of Yorubaland title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 hours or face the consequences.”
Oba Owoade recalled his unity tour to Yoruba monarchs, where he stressed the importance of peace and cooperation. “It is the joy of our forefathers for us to be in unity, and they did their part in ensuring peace and unity in Yorubaland. We must also strive to achieve this. God Himself is involved in our matter, therefore we must always, at all times, be concerned about the peace and unity of Yorubaland. We say we want development, but no meaningful and sustainable development will come without peace and unity,” he was quoted as saying.
He further accused the Ooni of misconstruing his peace initiative. “It seems the Ooni of Ife is misconceiving the Alaafin, Paramount with the Heart of Gold, and his peace initiative as the symbol of his stimulity, hence taking decisions that are not only ultra vires but derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland,” the statement added.
