Oba Akeem Owoade, the Alaafin of Oyo, has dismissed claims of being in a supremacy tussle with any traditional ruler, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.
The monarch made the clarification in a statement on Thursday through his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The response follows reports of a fresh dispute after Oba Owoade faulted the Ooni’s decision to confer the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman Dotun Sanusi, popularly known as Ilaji, during the unveiling of an indigenous social media platform, 2geda, at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan, last weekend.
Earlier in the week, the Alaafin had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni, demanding the revocation of the title. He described the Ooni’s action as an affront to his authority, stressing that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive right to confer titles covering the entire Yorubaland.
He also accused the Ooni of exceeding his traditional jurisdiction and disregarding a Supreme Court judgment, which, according to him, affirmed the Alaafin’s sole prerogative in such matters.
However, in the latest statement, the Alaafin maintained that he was not in any supremacy contest, noting that his role as a custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition remains unshaken.
Quoting the monarch, Durojaiye said: “Why would Alaafin get into any battle for supremacy with any Oba, either in Yorubaland or anywhere in the universe? These immortal words of Alexander Graham Bell – ‘The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion’ – sum up the life voyage of Owoade, an indomitable monarch with unequalled passion for the great good of all.”
He added that the Alaafin would never compromise tradition, culture or the development of his people for personal gain.
The statement described Oba Owoade as a monarch who “combines humility with royalty to meet modern-day demands,” while being spiritually vested with authority through his induction into Yoruba deities such as Ifa and Sango.
“At the hallowed ground of the Yoruba ancient shrine, Owoade made a covenant with illustrious Yoruba ancestors to defend, protect and add glamour to Yoruba norms and traditions,” the statement read.
Tracing the historical prominence of Oyo, the statement noted that the empire rose through wealth and military strength to become “the largest West African empire and the most authoritative of all early Yoruba principalities.”
It further recalled that the British colonial government recognised the Alaafin as the “Superior Head of the Yoruba Nation” during the signing of treaties.
On governance, the statement maintained that Oba Owoade remains deeply committed to the sanctity of his position and the welfare of his people, adding:
"The basic concept of government was monarchy with a rigid adherence to the monolithic Oduduwa dynasty and of the paternal line.”
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