Alaafin of Oyo Fires Back at Ooni of Ife: Revoke Illegal Chieftaincy Title or Face Consequences.

Alaafin of Oyo Fires Back at Ooni of Ife: Revoke Illegal Chieftaincy Title or Face Consequences.

The Nigerian World.

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A fresh controversy has erupted in Yorubaland following the conferral of the title Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman Dotun Sanusi by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

The title was bestowed on August 16, 2025, during a ceremony held in Ibadan—Sanusi’s hometown and a key city within Oyo State.

Just two days later, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, issued a stern warning demanding the title be revoked, citing jurisdictional overreach and disrespect to his authority.

Dotun Sanusi is a respected entrepreneur and philanthropist from Ibadan. He studied Petroleum Engineering at the University of Ibadan and built a successful career in oil and gas before founding TNL Drilling Services.

He is also the visionary behind Ilaji Farms and Ilaji Hotel and Resort, which have transformed rural development in Oyo State.

His deep roots in Ibadan make him culturally and territorially aligned with the Alaafin of Oyo.

The Alaafin’s grievance stems from the belief that only he holds the exclusive right to confer titles that span all of Yorubaland.

He referenced a Supreme Court ruling that limits the Ooni’s authority to the Ife region, arguing that the Ooni’s action was unlawful and derogatory to the institution of the Alaafin.

Given that Sanusi is from Oyo, the Alaafin views the Ooni’s gesture as a breach of traditional protocol and an affront to his symbolic supremacy.

Although the Supreme Court has previously ruled on jurisdictional boundaries among Yoruba monarchs—affirming that the Ooni’s authority is limited to the Ife region—this latest incident reveals how traditional institutions continue to test the limits of those legal definitions.

The conferral of a pan-Yoruba title by the Ooni, especially to someone from Oyo territory, challenges the legal and cultural framework that governs chieftaincy honors.

This dispute among the Yorubas—especially on social media—has opened up more dialogue about the fragile balance of power among Yoruba kings, where territorial respect and historical legacy remain central.

While both the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife are deeply revered, the authority to bestow titles that span the entire Yoruba ethnic group is not merely symbolic—it is a matter of prestige, tradition, and cultural sovereignty.

Yetunde B reports for Yeyetunde’s Blog.