Royal Supremacy: Alaafin Moves to Publish Supreme Court Ruling After 48-Hour Ultimatum

By Peter Dansu  Photo Credit: Alaafin Oyo Media  The royal rivalry between two foremost Yoruba monarchs, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoa...

By Peter Dansu 

Photo Credit: Alaafin Oyo Media 

The royal rivalry between two foremost Yoruba monarchs, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday following the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin’s palace, report by Punch says 

Sources in Oyo confirmed that the Alaafin is now preparing to publish a Supreme Court judgment, which the palace insists affirms his exclusive authority to confer chieftaincy titles that carry the “Yorubaland” designation.

The dispute was sparked on Monday after the Ooni conferred the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman, Dotun Sanusi — a move the Alaafin described as a breach of tradition and judicial pronouncement. Through his spokesman, Mr. Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin demanded that the Ooni revoke the title within 48 hours or face consequences.

By Wednesday evening, with the ultimatum elapsed, the Alaafin had held a series of meetings with his chiefs in Oyo, where deliberations reportedly centred on releasing the court ruling to buttress his claims of paramount authority across Yorubaland.

The Alaafin’s camp insists his role as paramount ruler is both historical and legally recognised. Supporting this position, the Atóbaáse of Yorubaland, Babajide Agunbiade, issued an open letter stressing that while the Ooni remains the spiritual custodian of the Yoruba people, the Alaafin’s supremacy is rooted in the legacy of the Oyo Empire and reinforced by judicial pronouncements.

According to him, “The issuance of Yoruba-wide titles is the prerogative of the Alaafin, as affirmed through various court decisions, culminating in the Supreme Court. This is not about prestige but about preserving the heritage and traditions of the Yoruba nation.”

However, prominent lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi disagreed, dismissing claims that any Supreme Court ruling granted the Alaafin exclusive pan-Yoruba powers.

“With the greatest respect, no judgment has declared the Alaafin the sole custodian of Yoruba legitimacy,” he argued. “The Ooni of Ife, as custodian of the cradle of Yoruba civilisation, has every right — historically, culturally, and lawfully — to bestow honours symbolic of unity.”

Olajengbesi added that Ile-Ife, as the ancestral home of the Yoruba, remains the undisputed source of legitimacy for all Yoruba kingdoms, including Oyo.

The row has triggered heated debates on social media, with many speculating on the “consequences” hinted at by the Alaafin’s spokesman. Yoruba leaders and cultural groups, however, have appealed for calm.

The Yoruba Council Worldwide, in a statement, urged citizens not to inflame tensions with divisive comments online. “The Alaafin and the Ooni are eternal symbols of Yoruba civilisation,” said its publicity secretary, Charles Adeyemi. “Their unity is crucial for our collective dignity. We call for a truce, an apology, and a retraction of the ultimatum.”

Similarly, the President of the Traditional Religion Worshippers Association in Osun, Dr. Oluseyi Atanda, cautioned against sensationalising the dispute, noting that disagreements between the two stools were not new. He recalled past rifts between the late Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, and the late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, stressing that such disputes always passed with time.

“This is not new,” Atanda said. “The only difference now is the role of social media in amplifying it. Elders from both Osun and Oyo are already intervening to ensure peace.”

Meanwhile, the Think Yoruba First Ogo Adulawo Socio-Cultural Association condemned attempts to distort Yoruba history for political or personal gain, describing such moves as “cultural defamation and historical falsification.”

As both palaces maintain their positions, attention now shifts to whether the Alaafin will make public the Supreme Court ruling said to back his claim, or whether ongoing mediation by Yoruba elders will avert further escalation in what is shaping up as one of the most delicate royal disputes in recent years.

Source: Punch