The Ooni of Ife’s palace has dismissed Alaafin of Oyo’s ultimatum over Dotun Sanusi’s title.
Spokesman Moses Olafare described the warning as an “empty threat,” insisting unity remains their focus.
The palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has dismissed the 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, over the conferment of the Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title on prominent businessman, Engineer Dotun Sanusi (Ilaji).
In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday, the Ooni’s spokesman, Otunba Moses Olafare, said his principal had instructed him not to respond formally to what he described as an “empty threat.”
“My Principal has directed me against issuing a press release on the empty threat of the Alawada Babasala,” Olafare wrote. “I beg to disappoint you gentlemen of the press; we cannot dignify the undignifyable with an official response.”
Olafare further noted that the issue had already been subjected to the “court of public opinion,” stressing that the Ooni’s palace would not be distracted from its mission of fostering peace and unity across Yorubaland.
“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 added.
In a sharp rebuttal to the ultimatum, Olafare scoffed at the Alaafin’s demand, writing, “48 hours my foot!”
The war of words comes after the Alaafin accused the Ooni of overstepping his traditional authority by conferring a Yoruba-wide title on Sanusi. Oba Owoade argued that only the Alaafin of Oyo holds the exclusive right to bestow honors that cover the entirety of Yorubaland.
The dispute has heightened public debate over hierarchy, authority, and jurisdiction within the Yoruba traditional institution. While the Alaafin insists on historical precedence and legal backing, the Ooni’s camp appears determined to downplay the controversy, framing it instead as a distraction from efforts to preserve peace and unity among the Yoruba people.
