Okanlomo of Oodua Title: Ooni, Alaafin Supremacy Battle Reignites
• How Ooni Ogunwusi settled with late Alaafin Adeyemi
By Dayo Johnson & Laolu Elijah
IBADAN— The fragile peace between the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and the Alaafin of Oyo has once again been ruptured, reigniting the supremacy battle between the two foremost Yoruba monarchs.
This fresh tension stems from the Ooni’s recent conferment of the Okanlomo of Oodua title on Ibadan business mogul, Engr. Dotun Sanusi, a decision the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, strongly opposes.
A Peace Once Secured
In 2016, the Ooni made a historic peace visit to the late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, breaking a 79-year jinx of discord between the thrones of Ife and Oyo. That reconciliation, marked by mutual respect, was hailed across Yorubaland and lasted until Oba Adeyemi’s passing in April 2022.
The cordiality, however, began to wane after the enthronement of Oba Owoade as the 46th Alaafin in April 2025.
Tensions Resurface
Three months ago, speculation of a cold war emerged after a viral video showed Alaafin Owoade seated while Ooni Ogunwusi exchanged pleasantries with him at an event hosted by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
The situation escalated last week when the Alaafin’s palace issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding that the Ooni revoke the Okanlomo of Oodua title conferred on Sanusi, arguing that only the Alaafin holds the authority to bestow chieftaincy titles covering the entire Yorubaland.
According to a statement from his Director of Media, Mr. Bode Durojaye:
“The Supreme Court has affirmed that it is the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer such titles. Ooni of Ife is acting beyond his jurisdiction and must withdraw the title or face consequences.”
Ooni’s Camp Responds
In response, Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, dismissed the ultimatum as an “empty threat” and emphasized that the palace would not dignify it with a formal press release.
“Let’s focus on unity narratives instead of divisive ones. 48 hours, my foot,” he wrote on social media.
Afenifere and Ibadan Elders Intervene
The pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere and several Ibadan leaders have rallied behind the Ooni, warning the Alaafin against provocative statements.
Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Otunba Kole Omololu, stressed that while the Alaafin wielded political power under the Oyo Empire, the Ooni’s authority as the spiritual and cultural head of Yorubaland has always transcended boundaries.
Similarly, Ibadan community leaders declared that any attack on Dotun Sanusi — a key Olubadan chief and philanthropist — would be considered an attack on Ibadanland itself.
Mogaji Nurudeen Akinade said:
“The late Alaafin Adeyemi never opposed Sanusi’s conferment by the Ooni in 2020. The current Alaafin risks embarrassing Yorubaland with divisive rhetoric.”
The Bigger Picture
What began as a symbolic title has now reignited centuries-old rivalries between the two powerful thrones of Yorubaland, raising fears that the hard-earned peace built by the late Oba Adeyemi and Ooni Ogunwusi may once again collapse.
