Inside Alaafin, Ooni’s renewed supremacy battle

A renewed supremacy battle between two major traditional stools in Yorubaland, the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife, has resurfaced. The Alaafin, Oba Akeem Owoade, issued an ultimatum to the Ooni, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, demanding the revocation of the Okanlomo Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on an Ibadan business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi.

This move has reignited the bitter rivalry between the two highly revered monarchs. The Owoade argued that the Ooni acted unlawfully and derogatorily by conferring the title, warning of unspecified consequences if it is not revoked within 48 hours.

The historical significance and spiritual leadership roles of the Alaafin and Ooni within the Yoruba traditional hierarchy have long been a subject of debate and contention. The power struggle between the two thrones dates back to the colonial.