The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, demanding the withdrawal of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland recently bestowed on businessman Dotun Sanusi, also known as Ilaji.
In a statement signed by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin described the Ooni’s action as a direct affront to his authority, stressing that only the Alaafin reserves the exclusive right to bestow titles that cover the entirety of Yorubaland.
He accused the Ooni of exceeding his traditional limits and disregarding a Supreme Court ruling which, he maintained, affirmed the Alaafin’s sole privilege in such matters.
According to him, the conferment of chieftaincy titles affecting Yorubaland remains the exclusive jurisdiction of the Alaafin.
The monarch insisted that the Ooni’s move was unlawful, insulting, and a violation of Supreme Court authority.
He further argued that the Ooni’s instrument of office restricts his traditional power to Oranmiyan Local Government—now divided into Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South—making the conferment invalid.
The Alaafin warned that failure to revoke the title within 48 hours would trigger severe consequences, cautioning that his peace efforts should not be mistaken for weakness.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has been drawn to the purported conferment of chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
“The conferment of chieftaincy title which borders on Yorubaland by the Ooni of Ife is not only an affront to the referred institution of the Alaafin, who is the Titan of Yorubaland, and on whom holds exclusive right to confer any chieftaincy title which covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.
“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order and because of that ‘above the law’ syndrome of his, he is in the habit of walking on everybody’s’ back including the apex court in the country, the Supreme Court, which had ruled on the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland on anyone.”
He added, “The instrument of office presented to Oba Ogunwusi, during his installation, specifically limits his traditional area of authority to Oranmiyan Local Government, which has now been split into three Local Governments, viz: Ife Central, Ife North and Ife South.
”The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test and the reality of our time makes it very obligatory for the Alaafin to call the Ooni of Ife to order and demand revocation of the so-called Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 HOURS or face the consequences.”
