The age-long rivalry between two of the most powerful thrones in Yorubaland has reignited, as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, lock horns over the conferment of a chieftaincy title on Ibadan-based business mogul, Dotun Sanusi.
The Ooni had recently conferred the title of “Okanlomo of Oodua” on Sanusi, a recognition with spiritual and pan-Yoruba implications.
But the Alaafin strongly opposed the act, arguing that the Ooni overstepped his bounds. The disagreement has opened a fresh debate on the historical roles of the two monarchs, their powers, and the cultural legitimacy of their actions.
Ile-Ife vs Oyo: A Struggle Rooted in History
Speaking with Pulse Nigeria, Professor Ranti Ojo of the University of Abuja explained that the feud is less about Dotun Sanusi and more about the centuries-old rivalry between Ile-Ife and Oyo.
“Ile-Ife existed thousands of years before Oyo came into being. While Oyo rose to prominence through military might in the 17th century, Ife had long established itself as the spiritual and cultural homeland of the Yoruba. The Alaafin may have been politically powerful, but Oyo never conquered Ife—not militarily, not culturally, not spiritually,” Prof. Ojo noted.
Prof. Ojo went further, likening the present dispute to a child challenging his father. “This is a case of a child trying to wrestle power away from his father. Oduduwa is the progenitor of the Yoruba race, and Ile-Ife is the sacred cradle of our civilisation. It is baffling that Oyo still struggles with this reality.”
The Colonial Distortion
Ojo argued that the confusion surrounding Yoruba kingship today stems largely from colonial distortions. When the British arrived, dazzled by the Oyo Empire’s military reach, they mistakenly elevated the Alaafin above other Yoruba monarchs in treaties and administrative records.
“The colonialists assumed Oyo had conquered the whole of Yorubaland. They wrote ordinances placing the Alaafin as the supreme Yoruba king, sidelining the Ooni, who was more passive but spiritually supreme. This historical error still haunts Yoruba traditional politics today,” Ojo said.
For him, the Ooni’s conferment of a title linked to “Oodua” was both legitimate and unassailable: “Oodua is not just about Yorubaland in Nigeria. It represents the entire Yoruba race, including the diaspora. So when the Ooni conferred the title of Okanlomo of Oodua, it was valid and far-reaching. In my view, there should be no quarrel over this.”
Law or Culture? A Matter Beyond Statutes
While some believe the courts could intervene, legal experts insist the matter is not strictly legal. Barrister Festus Ogun, a Lagos-based constitutional lawyer, stressed that chieftaincy laws in Oyo and Osun States exist but cannot fully regulate disputes of this nature.
“This feud transcends legality. It is fundamentally cultural and historical. Both the Ooni and the Alaafin have the authority to confer chieftaincy titles, but the scope and recognition of such titles depend on tradition, not statutes.
"The law cannot determine who is the spiritual head of Yorubaland—that is for history and culture to decide,” Ogun explained.
He added that the real issue lies in how history and identity are interpreted, not in the technicalities of state legislation.
Implications for Yoruba Unity
The public nature of the feud has stirred anxiety about Yoruba unity. Both monarchs are seen as custodians of culture whose influence extends beyond their domains into politics and identity across southwestern Nigeria.
Analysts warn that continued rivalries could erode respect for traditional institutions and deepen divisions within the Yoruba nation.
For now, Dotun Sanusi’s new title has become the flashpoint of a deeper struggle for legitimacy—one that pits military history against spiritual heritage, and colonial distortions against indigenous memory.
As Professor Ojo put it: “Homage was paid to Oyo out of respect, but tributes were never paid by Ife. That distinction is important. Ife has always remained the sacred home, never conquered, never diminished. This feud is unnecessary, but it reveals how unsettled Yoruba history still is.”
The battle between Ile-Ife and Oyo, it seems, is far from over. And once again, a chieftaincy title has become the symbol of an age-long struggle over who truly sits at the head of the Yoruba throne.
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