“Chieftaincy titles, the crux of the current face-off between the Ooni and Alaafin, have these days become so debased they are bestowed on all sorts; it profiteth Yorubaland nothing”
These days, it is like our leaders prefer to leave substance and chase shadows! These are deliberate distractions from the real issues that should bother us. The surprise to many is not that the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo are at war but the way the new Alaafin was quick to pick up the gauntlet! How long ago, for goodness sake, was he installed as the Alaafin? The tussle between the two Yoruba thrones over seniority or supremacy issue is as old as the two obaship institutions themselves. Previous occupants of the throne tugged at each other.
I listened to both the departed Ooni Olubuse and Alaafin Adeyemi lay conflicting claims to seniority and superiority, each relying on historical evidence, colonial documents and authority, and or court judgements to prove their case. I read History as a course of study; so, I have an idea of the history, facts, and documents that the two thrones brandish to prove their case. Truth be told, none of the two monarchs is right as of today to lay claim to seniority or superiority over the other and, indeed, over many other Yoruba obas in the present dispensation. In times past, maybe; but not any longer. Times have changed. Empires have crumbled. Power has changed hands. No one may continue to live in the past and disturb our peace in the present circumstance.
Origin of the Yoruba
The Yoruba agree that they originated from Ile-Ife and that Oduduwa was their progenitor. Oduduwa is said to have 16 direct children and many notable grandchildren. Kingdoms founded by these include Oyo, Benin, Ila, Ilesha, and Owo. History also records Oduduwa sons/grandsons to include the Alara, Ajero, Alaketu, Olowu, Onisabe, Onipopo, Alake, Aremitan (who later became the Owa of Idanre).
The direct sons and grandsons of Oduduwa reportedly dispersed from Ile-Ife to found many other Yoruba kingdoms. One of them, Oranyan or Oranmiyan, was sent by his father at the request of the then Bini Kingdom for an Oduduwa prince, to help the Binis start a new dynasty, putting an end to the troubled Ogiso monarchy.
Oranyan went to Benin, was installed king and married a Bini woman who gave birth to a son named Eweka. Thus, the present Bini dynasty is an offshoot of the Oranyan blood. In other words, any Bini person given birth to by anyone married into the Bini royal dynasty since the reign of Eweka has Yoruba blood flowing in his or her veins.
Oranyan, for reasons best known to him, left Benin after giving birth to Eweka. Some historians said he could not stomach or cope with the behaviour of the Bini people. Others said the pull of home was too strong for him to ignore. Returning home, he founded the old Oyo kingdom with its capital at Old Oyo (Oyo-Ile, which the Hausa called “Katunga”, meaning “large walls”, as a result of its majestic, oval-shaped wall).
At one point, Oyo empire was the strongest of all the kingdoms in Yorubaland, sprawling from the savannah region of the North to the coast of the Atlantic ocean and as far as some parts of present-day Benin Republic. But it never mastered the whole of Yorubaland as we know it today and no empire lasts forever! They rise and fall for varying reasons. History teaches of so many of such powerful kingdoms which later fell: Mali empire, Songhai empire, Dahomey empire, Kush, Azom and Zimbabwe, Kanem-Bornu empire, the empire founded by Shaka the Zulu, Bini Kingdom, to mention but a few.
The fall of Oyo Empire
History abhors a vacuum; so the unravelling of the old Oyo empire (in 1835/36?) principally as a result of the treachery and rebellion of Afonja gave rise to other successor-states such as Ibadan, Ijaiye, the Egbas and Ijebus, not to talk of the Ijeshas, Ekitis and Owo. Many war-like kingdoms were founded by the soldiers and Yoruba (Oyo) people fleeing down South as a result of the vicious attack unleashed by Fulani/Alimi jihadists and their Ilorin/Afonja surrogates; these include Modakeke, Gbongan, and Ode-Omu. Ibadan (Eba-Odan), and Abeokuta (where Olumo Rock provided shelter from attack) were also new towns.
The Battle of Osogbo (1840), which checkmated the southward move of the jihadists was fought by a combined Yoruba army, primarily supported by Ibadan and Ogbomoso; thus confirming Ibadan as the new dominant military power in Yorubaland of the time. Effectively, the old Oyo Empire’s military power and political influence or dominance had come to an end!
The Yoruba wars
Enter Ibadan and its dictatorship over much of Yoruba land! Its tyrannical “Ajele” system of administration led to revolts, rebellions and wars against its rule by other Yoruba city-states. Civil war engulfed Yorubaland for almost 100 years. Google described it as “a series of prolonged and devastating conflicts that engulfed Yorubaland, primarily triggered by the collapse of the Oyo Empire in the early 1800s. These wars featured shifting alliances and power struggles between emerging city-states like Ibadan and Abeokuta/Ijaiye and the final, longest phase, the Kiriji War (1877-1893) which involved coalitions like the Ekiti-Parapo against Ibadan dominance. The wars ultimately weakened the Yoruba states and paved the way for British intervention and annexation in the late 19th century”
Google adds that “the internal collapse of the once-powerful Oyo Empire created a significant power vacuum and series of disputes over succession and control” leading to “the rise of new, powerful centres of influence, such as Ibadan, which engaged in expansionist campaigns to control trade routes and slaves.” The Yoruba civil wars of the period include the Owu war (1821-1829) in which a coalition of Yoruba states, including Ife and Ijebu, destroyed Owu town; Egba-Ijebu War, better known as the Owiwi War (1832 -1834) primarily over influence and control of trade routes; Ijaiye war (1860 -1865) in which Ibadan fought and destroyed Ijaiye, thus consolidating its hold on power and dominance in much of Yorubaland; and, of course, the war to end all wars, the Kiriji/Ekiti-Parapo war (1877 – 1893) fought by the Ekiti-Parapo forces to overthrow the Ibadan yoke and check its efforts to maintain hegemony over the entirety of Yorubaland.
The Old Oyo Empire lost its political and military control over the parts of Yorubaland it controlled 190 years ago! How, then, can today’s Alaafin still claim suzerainty over such territories? He cannot, just as the successors of Jaja of Opobo, Ovonramwen Nogbaisi of Bini, Shaka the Zulu, Mansa Musa of Mali, etc cannot today lay claim to the ancient empires founded and reigned over by their illustrious ancestors. Brandishing colonial records or judgments by courts that relied on such records availeth nothing.
Everywhere they went in what later became Nigeria, the British colonialists acted on their own whims and caprices, prompted only by what advanced their vested interests. If they gave any oba a salary higher than another or bestowed upon one fleeting privilege or advantage, it had nothing to do with superiority or seniority but only as it served the interests of the colonial power.
Is Ooni a direct descendant of Oduduwa?
Having said that, we must ask the question whether the Ooni is a direct descendant of Oduduwa – a son, grandson or whatever. One history says he is not, but is only an “arole” or overseer of sorts, a caretaker of the home after the direct sons and grandsons of Oduduwa had scattered abroad to found this or that kingdom. Another history described him as a priest or spiritual aide or mentor to Oduduwa and his sons and grandsons. Can he, in that capacity, rightly establish superiority or suzerainty over the direct descendants of Oduduwa? But there is also the history that says the Ooni is a direct descendant of Oduduwa as well as the spiritual leader of Yorubaland, Ile-Ife being the recognised source and cradle of the Yoruba.
Whichever is the correct history, Ile-Ife’s authority in Yorubaland is more historical, cultural, moral and spiritual than military or political. Can it now begin to exercise political or military powers that it never had? My considered opinion is that the one who once wielded power but lost it and the one who never wielded such power are one and the same! The one should not fight over what it lost almost 200 years ago, and which is practically impossible for him to recover in these modern times. The other should not now arrogate to himself what he never had.
Keep to your lane!
To conclude: What did the appointing authorities write in the letters appointing the Ooni and the Alaafin? Is it “Ooni of Ife” and is it “Alaafin of Oyo”? Or is it “Ooni of Yorubaland” and “Alaafin of Yorubaland”? If it is the former, then, let everyone restrict himself to his territory! No one should pretend to extend his territory beyond what is written in his letter of appointment.
If he so wishes, let the Ooni give titles limited to Ife and let the Alaafin similarly give titles limited to Oyo if he, too, wishes. Neither has the power to give – and neither should give – Yoruba-wide chieftaincy titles. And like Chinua Achebe counsels in “Things Fall Apart”, “Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing…” You may wish to complete the sentence! This also applies to other Yoruba obas and chiefs. Let everyone keep within his territory.
Chieftaincy titles, the crux of the current face-off between the Ooni and Alaafin, have these days become so debased they are bestowed on all sorts; it profiteth Yorubaland nothing! Therefore, any existing title or new ones that any of our obas might have given or may propose to give that flouts or may have flouted the golden rule of keeping to your lane is null and void and of no effect whatsoever!
When an athlete infringes on another athlete’s lane, what happens? He or she is automatically disqualified! Any Oba giving Yoruba-wide chieftaincy titles is like an aircraft overshooting the tarmac!
I come in peace!
State Council of Chiefs: How relevant?
Many had thought the problem of seniority or supremacy tussle between the Ooni and Alaafin was as a result of their being in the same “boat” or “ship”, as it were. You know it is said that we cannot have two captains in the same ship. That was the problem when the two foremost thrones were in the same Western Region, Western State, and the then old Oyo State.
The tussle at the time was over the chairmanship of the Council of Obas. Who should permanently chair the council? Or should the chairmanship rotate? No formula acceptable to all was found until Osun state was excised out of Oyo state – and everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The problem of chairmanship tussle between the Ooni and Alaafin was solved by that state creation as each now belongs to different states.
But the recent tussle over who has the right to bestow Yoruba-wide chieftaincy titles has, once again, drawn attention to the fact that we still harbour lice on our head. Such being the case, we will continue to have blood-stains on our finger nails. Thus, putting heads together to find ways of directing the bountiful energies, especially of our youthful obas, into profitable ventures that will better serve the needs of Yorubaland becomes imperative. For, it must not be said of our obas that idle hands are the devil’s workshop.
Not long ago, I heard murmurings coming from the direction of Ibadan that they, too, would not allow the chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas to permanently reside in Oyo. There are cases like that simmering in other Yoruba states. Before those murmurings become a din, can we please do something! Should we kuku scrap every state council of chiefs to keep our peace and restrict each traditional ruler to his local government area?
I come in peace!
(Published in the ON THE LORD’S DAY column in the Sunday Tribune newspaper edition of Sunday, 24 August, 2025).
• Former editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman of its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-chief, BOLAWOLE was also the Managing Director/Editor-in-chief of The Westerner news magazine. He writes the ON THE LORD’S DAY column in the Sunday Tribune and TREASURES column in New Telegraph newspaper on Wednesdays. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television.
