The Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, has urged supporters of the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo to cease a public feud over the reported installation of businessman Chief Dotun Sanusi as the “Okanlomo of Yoruba land.”
Oba Alao stressed that the thrones of both monarchs are too sacred to be embroiled in social media controversies.
In a statement, Oba Alao pleaded for calm, saying he had consulted with both monarchs and confirmed their shared interest in promoting peace and unity.
He described the controversy as unnecessary and based on “mere speculation,” asserting that both the Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin, Oba Akeem Owoade, are committed to de-escalating the issue.
The Olugbon’s appeal comes amid a renewed rivalry between the two prominent Yoruba thrones, which was ignited by the Ooni’s reported conferment of the chieftaincy title on Chief Sanusi.
On Monday, the Alaafin of Oyo issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni to revoke the title, arguing that only the Alaafin has the exclusive right to bestow titles that carry the weight of “Yorubaland” as a whole.
The Alaafin’s palace cited a Supreme Court ruling and the Ooni’s limited traditional jurisdiction as reasons for its stance.
In response, the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, dismissed the ultimatum as an “empty threat” and stated that the monarch had directed him to ignore it.
The controversy has since drawn reactions from various traditional groups and legal experts, with some Ibadan leaders and a lawyer backing the Ooni’s authority to confer the title, while others have called for an end to the “fruitless struggle for emperorship.”
Oba Alao, a Vice-Chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, reiterated that there is no supremacy battle between the two kings.
He emphasized that dragging the monarchs and their sacred institutions on social media “runs against our moral fabrics” and the core “omoluabi ethos” of the Yoruba people, which are built on respect and honor.
He concluded that obas are focused on bringing development to Yoruba land and that the public should respect the sanctity of their thrones.
“As obas, we are deep in efforts that will bring development, peace and unity to Yoruba land.
“Ile Yoruba a gbe wa o!”
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