My Yoruba Leadership is Veritable, Not a Tussle with Anyone – Alaafin Roars Again

By Peter Dansu  The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has dismissed speculations that he is engaged in any supremacy battle with fellow mon...

By Peter Dansu 

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has dismissed speculations that he is engaged in any supremacy battle with fellow monarchs in Yorubaland or beyond.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, in Ibadan, the revered monarch stressed that his leadership is rooted in heritage, service, and the welfare of his people — not in rivalry with any throne.

Badagry Today had earlier reported on the fresh row between the Alaafin and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, after the Alaafin faulted the Ooni’s decision to confer the title of Okanlomo of Oduwa on businessman Dotun Sanusi during the unveiling of an indigenous social media network, 2geda, at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan.

According to the statement, Oba Owoade is a “veritable custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition” who will never compromise the dignity of his people, their customs, or their development “for a pot of porridge.”

“He operates a leadership judged only by results — prosperity, peace, and well-being of the people,” Durojaiye stated, adding that the monarch’s popularity rests not on titles or power struggles but on his steady devotion to service.

Quoting the immortal words of Alexander Graham Bell, the palace noted that true success comes from consistent growth and perseverance — virtues that the Alaafin embodies as a monarch who combines humility with royalty.

The statement further recalled the historical position of Oyo as the political and cultural heart of the Yoruba nation, once recognised even by the British colonial authorities, who signed treaties with the Alaafin as the superior head of the Yoruba race.

“As Oduduwa’s principal minister and descendant Oranmiyan founded Oyo, the empire rose to prominence through trade, diplomacy, and military might, becoming the most authoritative of all early Yoruba principalities. The Alaafin, by heritage and covenant with the ancestors, carries that enduring mantle,” the palace said.

Reaffirming his mission, the Alaafin pledged to continue defending, protecting, and promoting Yoruba tradition while adapting leadership to modern realities.

“Alaafin Owoade does not need a battle for supremacy with any Oba, either in Yorubaland or anywhere in the universe,” the statement concluded.