The Crown and the Contest: Oore of Moba Enters Royal Fray, Challenges Alaafin's Authority in Chieftaincy Dispute

OYO STATE – A royal dispute over traditional jurisdiction has escalated with a powerful intervention from the Oore of Otun-Ekiti, Oba Adekunle Adeagbo, who has not only debunked the Alaafin of Oyo's claims but also challenged the historical basis for his authority in a scathing rebuke. The conflict, which began with the Alaafin of Oyo's 48-hour ultimatum to the Ooni of Ife, has now drawn a third monarch into a debate about ancient power structures and modern royal roles.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Akogun Banjo Ayinde, the Oore of Moba addressed what he called a "media attack by the Alaafin's palace on the House of Odùduwà." The statement flatly denied the central claim made by the Alaafin—that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, conferred the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman Dotun Sanusi.

"Ooni has never conceived it, talk less of installing anybody as the Okanlomo of Yorubaland," the statement read. "We therefore challenge anyone with verifiable evidence that Ooni has traditionally or culturally installed such a title on anyone to present it to the public."

The Vision Beyond Titles: The Ooni's Focus on Unification

The Oore's statement argues that the Ooni's authority is far more expansive than the Alaafin's, transcending the boundaries of Yorubaland to include various communities across Africa that trace their roots to Ile-Ife. The Oore asserted that while the Ooni wields the "unequivocal authority to bestow titles of territorial relevance," his current focus is on a much larger vision of unifying the Odùduwà race for "peace, progress, and development."

The statement highlighted the Ooni's developmental projects, which it framed as a form of modern leadership that moves beyond "petty quarrels over minor titles." It cited the Ojaja Smart City in Ibadan, the Ife Grand Resort, and the Ojaja University in Ilorin as examples of the Ooni's efforts to create jobs and attract investments.

"Leadership is never by forceful enthronement nor by empty threats," the statement concluded. "It is by service, wisdom, and natural acceptability."

A Call for an End to "Emperorship"

The Oore's intervention directly challenged the Alaafin's claim to a singular and supreme authority over all of Yorubaland, an idea the statement referred to as a "fruitless struggle for emperorship" that has been "long eroded by constitutional democracy."

The statement also called for clarity on the Supreme Court judgment cited by the Alaafin's palace, urging the public to seek the original ruling to understand its true context. This move suggests that the Oore believes the legal argument being used to justify the Alaafin's authority may be misinterpreted or misapplied.

The Oore of Moba's public defense of the Ooni has introduced a new dynamic into the royal conflict, positioning the Ooni not as a rival to the Alaafin, but as a leader with a global and developmental vision, while painting the Alaafin's position as one rooted in outdated imperial rivalries. The statement concludes with a commitment to peace, urging both sides to focus on the prosperity of their people.