Yoruba elders call for truce in Ooni–Alaafin dispute
The Yoruba Leaders of Thought (Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba) have appealed to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, to end their public rift, warning that the feud risks undermining Yoruba unity.
Tensions resurfaced last week after the Alaafin faulted the Ooni’s decision to confer a chieftaincy title on businessman Dotun Sanusi, sparking heated exchanges between the two royal camps.
The group’s national leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, in a statement on Sunday, urged Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to immediately intervene to de-escalate the crisis.
“We appeal to the South-West Council of Obas to set up a standing committee to quickly resolve such disputes in future before they erode the honour of our traditional rulers,” the statement, signed by National Secretary Bayo Aina, read.
Olusi said the quarrel was a major distraction at a time when all Yoruba leaders should be rallying behind President Bola Tinubu to ensure the success of his administration.
He lamented that historical narratives, instead of uniting the Yoruba race, were now being weaponised to promote discord. “It is saddening that many leaders are taking sides in a narrative that has no capacity to transform the struggles of our people into victory over our developmental challenges,” he said.
The Yoruba Leaders of Thought also warned that the feud could damage the global image of the Yoruba nation if not quickly resolved.
Meanwhile, the group commended President Tinubu for appointing Chief Opeyemi Agbaje as chairman of the National Pension Commission, describing the role as critical to tackling old-age poverty among Nigerian pensioners.
