Many people couldn’t believe their eyes yesterday when the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, publicly blasted the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, over the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title conferred on a businessman, Dotun Sanusi.
At first, many thought it was a rumor till mainstream media started publishing the reaction of the Alaafin, who threatened consequences on the Ooni of Ife if he failed to withdraw the title within 48 hours.
In the statement credited to him, he blasted the Ooni for acting like someone who has no powers checking him, noting that he has no right to confer a Yorubaland title on anyone and that only the Alaafin has that stretch across Yorubaland.
These were his words
“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.”
This has raised concerns among observers in the media, as many still express shock over the development, but this situation had been foretold by Nigerian prophet, Primate Elijah Ayodele, who warned shortly after Alaafin emerged that there is a crisis that would come up between the two most revered kings in Yoruba land.
Primate Ayodele stated then that there is an imminent fight coming up between them, but advised them to avoid it by all means in another video. He made it known that he personally doesn’t want them to fight, but people will come in between them.
These were his words:
“ Well, I don’t want Ooni and Alaafin to fight, but I am seeing that people will come in between them and cause them to fight. The fight between Ooni and Alaafin is imminent; that’s the message of the Lord.”
The prophet went further to beg both of them to allow a smooth relationship between them, noting that it would be beneficial for the entire Yoruba race. These were his words:
“Alaafin and Ooni must work together; their closeness and relationship will make Yoruba Obas more recognized and powerful. Please, don’t let anyone come in between the two of you, don’t fight, I beg.”
Sadly, the new development has fulfilled the prophecy of Primate Ayodele, and hopefully, the royal fathers can still listen; maybe this can still be avoided.
