A former aide to the late Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Doyin Odebowale, has faulted the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, over his recent demand that the Ooni of Ife revoke a chieftaincy title conferred on Ibadan businessman, Dotun Sanusi.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Odebowale argued that traditional rulers in Nigeria hold authority only within their local government jurisdictions and are constitutionally subordinate to elected officials at that level.
“This idea of somebody sitting in Oyo and legislating on what happens in Ile-Ife is a misnomer. They are under the local government chairman in their respective areas,” he said.
‘Haste to Discard Tradition’
Odebowale blamed recurring clashes among monarchs on what he described as a decline in traditional values.
According to him, the British colonial system reduced powerful empires to stools, introducing chieftaincy laws that curtailed the influence of monarchs.
“By government structure, their powers do not go beyond their local government. The Ooni has his council in Osun, while the Alaafin has his in Oyo. By law, the Alaafin is under his local government chairman,” he added.
The Title Controversy
The remarks come amid a dispute between the Alaafin and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, over the conferment of the title “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” on Sanusi in Ibadan.
The Alaafin had issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding that the Ooni revoke the title, claiming exclusive authority to confer titles covering Yorubaland. He cited a Supreme Court ruling as backing.
But the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, dismissed the demand as an “empty threat,” saying the palace would not respond officially.
In a follow-up, the Alaafin’s aide, Bode Durojaiye, clarified that the monarch was not seeking supremacy over other rulers but was defending the sanctity of Yoruba tradition.
