• Super Admin
• 08 Mar, 2026

It has become expediently necessary for both the Alaafin of Oyo, Alaafin Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, and the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, to "sheath their swords, abandon egoistical interests" and come together to protect the Yoruba race, says the former Chairman of the Nigerite Ltd., Prof. Yemi Oladimeji. He said anything short of this expectation "will spell doom for the race, which remains a leading light, not only for Nigeria but for the African continent." In a statement, Oladimeji, a 2007 governorship aspirant of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Osun State, maintained that nothing could be more important about the fight for superiority than the interest of the people through which the two monarchs enjoy their representation and relevance. He said: "I am afraid the politicians have seen a gaping hole in the struggle for a number one position, not only between the Alaafin and the Ooni, but among leading Yoruba traditional rulers, and even at another dangerous dimension which extends to some elements in the Northern, South-Eastern and South-Southern traditional rulers and they are prepared to maximise the plot to reduce the enormous powers of these royal fathers while they further and farther reposition their own authorities. "While I believe that the two great thrones of the Alaafin and the Ooni have significant and historical influence on the Yoruba race, as it is now, it requires creative measures and not only historical accounts to solve the crisis being created by jostling for a supreme royal position. "I am appealing to our revered royal fathers, the Alaafin and the Ooni, to know that the survival of the Yoruba race, our age-long tradition, norms and customs largely depend on them and they must never compromise this for any narrow interest." However, Oladimeji warned the politicians, particularly the state governors, to know their boundaries when it comes to the issues of tradition and culture, adding that they should stop interfering in chieftaincy matters and the process of appointment of traditional rulers. According to Oladimeji, otherwise known as Imolede Okunkun Parada: "Let the politicians steer clear of traditional matters. It is strange to see a governor distributing crowns freely like cakes. This conduct is taboo, and it has dire consequences, if not in the short run, then in the long run. And let me add this that any government interference in traditional matters is not acceptable because of setting a bad precedent. "Let whoever among the traditional rulers who feel unconcerned about the development in Oyo State, where the Alaafin stool is being relegated to the background, know that any governor in future, on a whim can repeat or do worse than what Governor Seyi Makinde has lately done in Oyo State to our foremost royal fathers and the case will be indefensible because of the precedent. "As Yoruba people, we must be proud of our history and traditions. The Alaafin of Oyo is called 'His Imperial Majesty' because he was the ruler of the old Oyo Empire, the largest, most powerful, and most centralised empire ever formed in Yorùbáland. "The old Oyo was an empire, not just a kingdom. The old Oyo known as Òyó-Ilé was not ruling a single town or cluster of towns. It was an imperial state that controlled vast Yorùbá territories and exercised authority over non-Yoruba peoples, including the Nupe, Bariba, and parts of Borgu. The old Oyo collected tributes from vassal states like Ijebu, Egba, Egbado and even Dahomey. But this is only of historical value. Can we say that because America was colonised by the British, America should perpetually remain under the British. No, it is only a historical issue, no more, no less. Today, America is a superpower, far above Great Britain. "Our revered fathers, the Alaafin and the Ooni, should learn to work together for the uplift of the Yoruba race. Let the Alaafin remain the political head while the Ooni keeps his spiritual leadership for peace to reign in Yorubaland. "The Ooni of Ife is also recognised as the Arole and the spiritual head of our race, sitting on the stool of our respected progenitor, the Oduduwa. The Ooni holds unmatched spiritual and ancestral authority. Ile-Ife is and will remain the cradle of the Yoruba people. "So, both the Alaafin and the Ooni are to provide political and spiritual leadership for the Yoruba race. They both should learn to work in harmony to preserve our heritage and advance our values. There is great work to be done in the land. With respect for all other Yoruba monarchs and recognition of their sovereignty over their domains, they should rally their support for a great vision. "Our royal fathers should prioritise peace and unity. They should start to think big for the Yoruba race, knowing that what should be important is pushing for more powers for their stools collectively so that the traditional institution can regain its lost glory, potency and authority. "Rather than allowing negative elements to pitch them against each other, both the Alaafin Owoade and the Ooni Ogunwusi should champion a creative establishment of political and spiritual structure in the Yoruba monarchy ecosystem for the unprecedented progress of the race. "There is nothing wrong with understudying how the British monarchy works. Our royal fathers can understand it and internalise some of its positive elements. I believe restructuring is necessary in the Yoruba traditional institution and only the Alaafin and the Ooni can lead the way." Oladimeji concluded that the foremost Yoruba monarchs should not hesitate to make a recess into the sanctuaries of their palaces naked and with the ancient crowns on their heads to invoke the spirit of the ancestors upon the politicians working against "our tradition" if it is necessary to do so. Source: https://thenationonlineng.net/why-alaafin-ooni-must-work-together/