Sheathe your sword, Olabode George, Gani Adams, Kunle Olajide, Olu Alabi advise Ooni, Alaafin

• I have personally reached out to the monarchs, elders over the issue — Gani Adams

Prominent leaders in Yoruba land, on Wednesday, called for a cessation of the altercations between the camps of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, over issues triggered by the conferment of a honorary chieftaincy title on the Ibadan-based business mogul, Chief Dotun Sanusi.

The leaders, who expressed concern on the faceoff, included: Chief Olabode George, who holds the honourary title of Atoona of Oduduwa; Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Ibadan Gani Adams; former general secretary of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Dr Kunle Olajide, and the former Commissioner for Health in old Oyo State, Dr Olu Alabi.

The International Council for Ifa Religion (ICIR) also pleaded with the foremost traditional rulers to embrace peace and harmony to fast-track development in Yoruba land.

The cold war was triggered by statements and counter-statements by the spokespersons of the monarchs, Bode Durojaiye for the Alaafin and Moses Olafare for the Ooni, on the proprietary or otherwise of the conferment of the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Sanusi.

The exercise was carried out by the Ooni at the unveiling of an indigenous social media and business networking platform called 2geda, at Ilaji Hotel and Sports Resort, Akanran, Ibadan, on Saturday, August 16.

The Alaafin had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni to reverse the decision to avert the consequences of his initial action.

But Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, said his principal had advised him to ignore the subtle threat by allowing the matter “in the court of public opinion.”

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune on the standoff between the foremost traditional rulers, Chief Olabode George expressed deep concern, begging the duo to embrace peace in the overall interest of Yoruba land.

“As the Atona Oodua, I am feeling very hot. History cannot repeat itself, and I want to plead with both of them that the Cradle of the Yoruba people is Oduduwa, found in Ife. The Alaafin is also an important Oba. They have just ascended the throne. In the name of God (Olodumare) and the founding fathers of Yoruba land, they should sheathe the swords. We can’t continue to be like uneducated buffoonery.

“It is not proper. They have just ascended the throne of their forefathers. Is this the path we have chosen for ourselves so that others can say the Yoruba cannot speak with one voice or put our house in order?

“What is wrong with us? What are we looking for that is missing? Where are those before us? So, they should rethink.

“The two obas are young people, but is this the way the Yoruba can make progress and achieve prosperity? Their preoccupation should be how to make life more meaningful and pleasant for our people. There should be no blame game.

“This is the 21st century, for God’s sake! I’m so ashamed. What do they want? Life is ephemeral and transient. No one is immortal. Yesterday is gone! Let each of them remain in his domain. Olodumare is above all of you. Life is vanity,” Chief George stated.

George went further: “Let everybody maintain the status quo ante; let the elders and leaders of thought in the society tell them that enough is enough. Unity of purpose brings forth progress.

“I was the one who intervened in the Ife-Modakeke feud, and we were able to settle the protracted dispute. Since then, peace has returned to the area. So, the obas should embrace peace and exhibit patience and tolerate one another. I plead with them to allow peace to reign. O to ge o (it’s enough).”

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He opined that if the Obas showed restraints, their subordinates and spokesmen would show comportment, adding: “I am appealing to them in the name of God, the culture, custom, and tradition of the Yoruba to sheathe their swords.”

Similarly, Iba Gani Adams called for an amicable resolution of the issue to sustain peace in the land.

He said he had personally reached out to the revered monarchs in Africa, the palaces, and some elders in the land to ensure amicable resolution of the matter, describing both the Alaafin and the Ooni as the pride of Yoruba land and indeed Africa, for which no one could afford to have disunity between them.

Iba Adams, who is the Yoruba generalissimo, said the aim was to rally the two foremost monarchs to achieve peaceful coexistence, noting that Yorubaland is undergoing some pockets of insecurity now, for which they have a role to play in addressing, “and we cannot afford to allow external enemies to infiltrate us.”

This was just as he underscored the importance of unity, saying the “lizard cannot penetrate the wall if there is no crack in it.”

The statement read: “I have reached out to some Yoruba elders on the matter. The aim is to rally them to intervene in the growing tension between the two Imperial Majesties, the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo.

“The two monarchs are our pride in Yoruba land and indeed in Africa. We cannot afford to have disunity between them.

“So, I have reached out to the two revered monarchs in Africa and palaces, that the issue should be resolved amicably, and we should sustain peace in Yorubaland.

“Yoruba land is undergoing some pockets of insecurity now. The two prominent monarchs have roles to play in all these, and we cannot afford to allow external enemies to infiltrate us. If there is no crack in the wall, the lizard cannot penetrate it.”

On his part, an elder statesman, Senator Olu Alabi, sued for peace and collaboration between the Alaafin and the Ooni, recalling how a similar face-off in the Second Republic had a negative effect on governance in the old Oyo State.

“My only appeal is that we have to beg them in the name of God to sheath their swords because when I was the Commissioner for Health in the old Oyo State, the government spent a lot of time trying to settle the faceoff between the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade and the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.

“The dispute was serious to the extent that the House of Chiefs could not hold its regular meetings because there was nobody to preside. So, it was the spirit of Oyo and Osun that solved that problem. So, I don’t see why there has to be any squabble between the current traditional rulers.

“Each oba has his jurisdiction. They should not revive what happened during the period of their predecessors that made governance almost impossible in the 1980s, which I witnessed when I was the health commissioner. As younger and educated people, our obas should not continue the same trajectory for the sake of Yoruba land,” he stated.

The medical doctor also called on the media not to latch on to the faceoff between the duo so as not to further heat up the system.

He added: “The obas should call their spokespersons to order; that they should stop all press war. There is nothing to warrant the intervention of Yoruba elders because the obas are in the same jurisdiction. Let each man have his jurisdiction because if we are not careful, a similar faceoff could spread in Yoruba land.

“We need to nip the faceoff in the bud before it becomes a stubborn growth. I don’t want it to become a wildfire. It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.”

Expressing indignation on the Alaafin-Ooni feud, ex-YCE general secretary, Dr Kunle Olajide, cautioned the two camps from further escalation of the current situation because of the immediate and long-term implications for Yoruba land.

According to Dr Olajide: “It is an ill wind that blows no one any good. I am appealing to them to sheathe the swords and embrace peace in the name of God and the interest of Yoruba land. They have individual domains. As obas, they remain the custodians of the best Yoruba customs, cultures, and traditions. They serve as role models and should be involved in umbrages.”

In the same vein, the International Council for Ifa Religion called on the traditional rulers to sheathe their swords over the supremacy battle to fast-track development in Yoruba land.

ICIR, in a statement signed by its president, Dr Fayemi Fatunde Fakayode, and made available to journalists on Wednesday, underlined the importance of collaboration and understanding among obas in Yoruba land.

“To propel our land towards development, progress, and unity, we enjoin our traditional rulers to foster a spirit of collaboration and mutual understanding,” the ICIR emphasised.

Deji of Akure appeals for calm

The Deji of Akure and the paramount ruler of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Odundun II, has also appealed to the foremost Yoruba monarchs, the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo, to close ranks and resolve any lingering disagreements in the interest of peace and unity within Yorubaland.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Micheal Adeyeye, Oba Aladelusi said Yoruba traditional rulers carry the burden of preserving tradition and harmony, noting that any public disagreement over chieftaincy matters could weaken the bond among Yoruba people.

He warned that disunity among the monarchs could embolden forces seeking to undermine the strength and influence of the Yoruba nation. The monarch urged the revered traditional rulers to demonstrate leadership by fostering reconciliation and presenting a common front in the socio-political development of the South-West.

Yoruba Council Worldwide charges Yoruba elders to mediate

The Yoruba Council Worldwide (YCW), the apex umbrella body of all Yoruba indigenous people, has equally called on elders to mediate on the rift.

The Council, in a statement by its publicity secretary, Charles Adeyemi, appealed to Yoruba sons and daughters, especially the vibrant voices on social media, to refrain from speaking ill of their monarchs.

“Instead, let us be advocates of peace, understanding, and reconciliation. Our words carry weight, and in times of tension, they should be used to build bridges, not walls.”