Alaafin Tackles Ooni Over Chieftaincy Title

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, to revoke the conferment of the Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi.

The monarch, who warned against Ooni’s conferment of Yoruba chieftaincy titles, described it as an affront to the referred institution of Alaafin.

Alaafin’s director of Media and Publicity. Bode Durojaiye, in a statement on Monday, said, “The conferment of chieftaincy title which pertains to Yorubaland by the Ooni of Ife is not only an affront to the revered 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.

“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.

“Fact states that during Alaafin’s unity tour to Yoruba monarchs, he reiterated his message that there could not be development without unity,” he said.