****Plus – Supreme court affirmation of Alaafin’s paramount authority in Yorubaland
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, on Monday strongly criticised the decision of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, to confer the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a businessman, Dotun Sanusi.
The Ooni, at the weekend, bestowed the title on Sanusi during the unveiling of 2geda, an indigenous social media and business networking platform, held at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan.
Conferring the title, Ogunwusi described Sanusi’s commitment to the cultural and economic growth of the Yoruba race as unparalleled.
But the Alaafin, in a statement issued on Monday through his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, said the Ooni overstepped his bounds, insisting that no traditional ruler other than the Alaafin reserves the authority to confer a title covering the entire Yorubaland.
Oba Owoade demanded that the title be revoked within 48 hours or the Ooni should “face the consequences.”
He said, “The attention of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has been drawn to the purported conferment of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order. 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 any chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland.
“The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test. The Alaafin hereby demands revocation of the so-called Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 hours or face the consequences.”
The Alaafin further argued that the Ooni’s jurisdiction on conferment of titles was limited, stressing, “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.”
While warning against attempts to undermine his peace-building efforts across Yorubaland, Owoade recalled his earlier appeal to traditional rulers to work for unity.
He said, “It is the joy of our forefathers for us to be in unity, and they did their part in ensuring peace and unity in Yorubaland. We must also strive to achieve this. God Himself is involved in our matter; therefore, we must always, at all times, be concerned about the peace and unity of Yorubaland. We say we want development, but no meaningful and sustainable development will come without peace and unity.
“But it seems the Ooni of Ife is misconceiving the Alaafin, Paramount with the Heart of Gold, and his peace initiative as a sign of weakness, hence taking decisions that are not only ultra vires but derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland.”
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for Ooni’s Palace, Moses Olafare, for comment failed as calls to his line did not go through.
Text and whatsapp messages to his lines were not also responded to as of the time of filing this report.
See the judicial backing of Alaafin as the only traditional ruler in Yorubaland to confer such title on anybody.
THE SUPREME COURT AFFIRMATION OF THE ALÁÁFIN’S PARAMOUNT AUTHORITY IN YORUBALAND
The Supreme Court judgment affirming the Alááfin of Oyo as the paramount authority to confer chieftaincy titles in Yorubaland is deeply rooted in both historical precedent and legal frameworks.
1. Historical Significance:
From precolonial times through the colonial era, the Alááfin was recognized as the supreme political authority over all Yoruba kingdoms. Records such as the 1897 Colonial Intelligence Report and the recognition given by Lord Frederick Lugard in 1917 affirmed the Alááfin’s supremacy.
2. Legal Framework:
The 2014 Supreme Court Judgment (SC/104/2008) clearly established the Alááfin’s exclusive right to confer titles that cover Yorubaland.
The Lagos State White Paper on Chieftaincy Matters (2019) also re-echoed this position, affirming the historical precedence of the Alááfin’s authority.
3. Precedent Setting:
The 1991 Akinrogun of Yorubaland title controversy, in which the Ooni of Ife’s attempt to install a chief triggered a constitutional crisis, reinforced the judicial and customary recognition of the Alááfin as the prescribed authority over chieftaincy matters in Yorubaland.
4. Evidence of Supremacy (Ten Irrefutable Proofs):
British Colonial Recognition: Lord Lugard’s 1917 recognition and the 1897 Colonial Intelligence Report.
Historical Records: Official minutes of Council meetings (1960–1965), preserved in the National Archives, Ibadan.
Judicial Precedents: Justice Adewale Thompson’s 1978 ruling on chieftaincy jurisdiction and the landmark 2014 Supreme Court judgment.
Collectively, these documents form the backbone of legal and historical proof.
5. Scholarly Opinions:
Renowned historians, including Professor Jide Osuntokun and Professor Toyin Falola, have provided scholarly validation that the Alááfin’s authority is not only traditional but also empirically verifiable through historical analysis.
Together, these points provide an unbroken chain of HISTORICAL AUTHORITY, JUDICIAL CONFIRMATION, AND SCHOLARLY ENDORSEMENT ESTABLISHING THE ALÁÁFIN OF OYO AS the PARAMOUNT AUTHORITY IN CONFERRING CHIEFTAINCY TITLES ACROSS YORUBALAND.
