Lawyer Dismisses Alaafin’s Claim of Supremacy, Says Supreme Court Never Backed It

The simmering tussle over supremacy between two of Yorubaland’s most revered monarchs has taken a new dimension as a constitutional lawyer has debunked claims that the Supreme Court ever conferred supremacy rights on the Alaafin of Oyo.

The row was triggered after the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, bestowed the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Oodua on Ibadan businessman, Dotun Sanusi. The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, swiftly rejected the move, arguing that such Yoruba-wide titles fall under his exclusive authority. He went further to issue a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni, demanding the revocation of the title.

But a constitutional lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has come out strongly to dismiss the Alaafin’s position, stressing that there is no legal or constitutional backing for his claim.

According to Olajengbesi, the Supreme Court has never handed the Alaafin supremacy rights over other Yoruba monarchs, making his claim baseless.

“The claim that the Alaafin alone can confer pan-Yoruba titles is not only misleading but also constitutionally unsound.

No Supreme Court judgment exists to support such authority,” Olajengbesi said. He further explained that Yoruba monarchies draw legitimacy from tradition and cultural practices, not from constitutional hierarchy. “The Ooni acted within his cultural and ancestral rights in conferring the title on Sanusi,” he added.

Support for the Ooni also came from within the traditional institution. The Olukosi of Ilukosi-Ijesa in Osun State, Oba Omotooyosi Bayo Akinleye, sided with the Ooni, noting that the Alaafin’s influence does not stretch beyond Oyo territory. “The Alaafin’s authority ends in Oyo land. The Ooni remains the custodian of our progenitor’s throne and the spiritual father of the Yoruba race,” he declared.
Meanwhile, the Ooni’s palace has refused to engage in a direct confrontation. His spokesman, Moses Olafare, dismissed the ultimatum as an “empty threat,” saying the Ooni would not dignify it with a formal reply. “We cannot dignify what is undignifiable. The matter is already before the court of public opinion, where the people will decide,” Olafare said.
The dispute has once again rekindled long-standing debates about hierarchy among Yoruba monarchs. Historically, the Alaafin of Oyo wielded political and military power, while the Ooni of Ife has been regarded as the spiritual leader and custodian of Yoruba origin, given Ife’s significance as the cradle of the Yoruba people.
Analysts say the current clash is less about constitutional authority and more about cultural relevance in contemporary times. While traditional rulers maintain enormous influence in their respective domains, their supremacy claims are shaped by history and tradition rather than legal frameworks.

As it stands, the Ooni appears unshaken in his decision to honour Sanusi, while the Alaafin insists on asserting his supremacy. The unfolding drama is now the subject of widespread public debate, reflecting the enduring sensitivities surrounding Yoruba history, identity, and monarchy.