The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), has said the 48-hour ultimatum given to him by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, over the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title is an “empty threat”.
Through his spokesman, Otunba Moses Olafare, the Ooni described Oba Owoade as a comedian.
Olafare said, “My principal has directed me against issuing a press release on the empty threat of the Alawada Babasala.”
The eminent monarch also dismissed the 48-hour ultimatum the Alaafin issued over the conferring the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on business magnate, Engr Dotun Sanusi (Ilaji).
The Alaafin had accused the Ooni of overstepping his bounds by bestowing a title covering the entire Yorubaland on Dotun Sanusi.
Oba Owoade argued that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive right to confer such honours.
Reacting in a post on his Facebook page, Olafare said his principal had directed him not to dignify what he described as “an empty threat” with a formal press release.
“My principal has directed me against issuing a press release on the empty threat of the Alawada Babasala.
“I beg to disappoint you, gentlemen of the press; we cannot dignify the ‘undigniyable’ with an official response. No press release, pls.”
Olafare stressed that the matter was already being considered by the court of public opinion, adding that the Ooni’s Palace would not be distracted from its focus on peace and unity.
“We leave the matter to be handled in the public court of opinion, as it is already being treated. Let us rather focus on narratives that unite us, rather than the ones capable of dividing us,” he said.
The Ooni’s aide also brushed aside the ultimatum issued by the Alaafin, saying, “48 hours on my foot!”
Meanwhile, Traditional rulers, Mogajis, Baales, and other stakeholders in Ibadan, Oyo State, have faulted the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade, for issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, to revoke the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland conferred on the chairman of Ilaji Hotels and Sport Resorts, Dotun Sanusi.
President of Ibadan Mogajis, Mogaji Asimiyu Ariori, and Coordinator of Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI), Mogaji Nurudeen Akinade, on behalf of the Ibadan stakeholders, described Alaafin Owoade’s position as an affront on Ibadanland.
According to them, “an attack on the Bada Olubadan designate is an attack on the entire Ibadanland.
“The irrational behaviour of Alaafin Owoade since ascending the throne must be checked and should not be extended to Ibadanland.”
They noted that Oba Ogunwusi conferred on Sanusi the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland years ago during an event at Ilaji Hotels and Sport Resorts, stressing that the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, never opposed the honour.
“The late Alaafin Adeyemi was alive when Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi bestowed the title on Sanusi, and he never raised any objection.
“The late monarch had cordial relations with Sanusi and openly appreciated his contributions to Ibadanland and Yorubaland,” the statement read.
The stakeholders further recalled that Sanusi and Ooni share a long-standing relationship, noting that both men share the same birth date, October 17.
They cited instances where Sanusi attended Ooni’s birthday celebrations and Ooni reciprocated by visiting Ilaji Hotels and Sport Resorts in 2020, when he publicly pronounced Sanusi as Okanlomo of Yorubaland.
They also highlighted several occasions when the late Alaafin Adeyemi III and Sanusi shared platforms and exchanged mutual respect, including Chief Lekan Alabi’s 70th birthday at the University of Ibadan.
The stakeholders described Alaafin’s stance as “provocative and divisive,” and they accused him of attempting to extend unnecessary conflicts to Ibadanland.
“Instead of engaging in initiatives that promote unity and development, the current Alaafin appears bent on stoking divisions.
“He has already lost credibility over the Oyo State Council of Obas chairmanship tussle, and now he is attacking a foremost Ibadan chief, philanthropist, and respected personality in Nigeria. This is unacceptable,” they said.
They warned that any attack on Sanusi, as the Bada Olubadan-designate, would be seen as a direct attack on Ibadanland, and urged Yoruba leaders to caution the monarch.
“The Ooni of Ife has consistently demonstrated leadership and unity of purpose, so Ibadan people continue to rally around him. Alaafin Owoade should emulate this rather than descend to divisive and irrational actions,” the statement added.
