The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has given the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, a 48-hour deadline to withdraw the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland recently bestowed on businessman Dotun Sanusi, popularly known as Ilaji.
In a statement released by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin described the Ooni’s action as an overreach and a direct challenge to his authority. He maintained that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive right to confer titles with jurisdiction across Yorubaland.
According to him, the Ooni acted beyond his traditional boundaries and ignored a Supreme Court ruling which, he said, reaffirmed that the Alaafin alone has the prerogative to bestow such titles.
Oba Owoade emphasized that the Ooni’s recognition of Sanusi was not only unlawful but also disrespectful to the Yoruba traditional hierarchy, warning that it undermines the authority of the highest court in the land.
He further pointed out that the Ooni’s powers are constitutionally limited to Oranmiyan Local Government—now divided into Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South—and therefore, any title he confers beyond that scope is invalid.
The Alaafin warned that failure to revoke the title within the given time frame would invite “serious consequences,” stressing that his restraint should not be mistaken for weakness.
Part of the statement reads:
“The Alaafin of Oyo and Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has been informed of the purported conferment of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman Dotun Sanusi by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The conferment of such a title, which directly concerns Yorubaland as a whole, is exclusively reserved for the Alaafin. The Ooni’s action disregards the traditional hierarchy and disrespects the Supreme Court judgment that affirms this exclusive right.
The Ooni’s instrument of office clearly restricts his traditional jurisdiction to Ife and its immediate environs. Any attempt to extend this beyond its limits is unlawful and unacceptable. The Alaafin therefore demands the immediate revocation of the title within 48 hours or the Ooni should be prepared to face the consequences.”
