The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has insisted that he has no reason to enter a supremacy tussle with any other monarch, affirming that his reign is anchored on tradition, the welfare of his people, and the legacies handed down by his forefathers.
In a statement released on Thursday by his spokesperson, Bode Durojaiye, the monarch described himself as a custodian of Yoruba culture who would never trade the interest of his subjects for personal advantage.
“Alaafin Owoade is a veritable custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition, and has always taken into consideration the safety and welfare of his subjects. He will never sacrifice tradition, culture, and the development of his people for a pot of porridge,” Durojaiye stated.
The palace further noted that Oba Owoade finds inspiration in the words of Alexander Graham Bell, who once remarked: “The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion… the man who carefully advances step by step, with his mind becoming wider and wider persevering in what he knows to be practical, is bound to succeed in the greatest degree.”
“These immortal words sum up the life journey of Alaafin Owoade, an indomitable monarch with an unequalled passion for the greater good of all,” the statement read.
Oba Owoade, also known by his traditional titles Kabiyesi, Iku Baba Yeye, Alashe, and Ekeji Orisha, was described as a king who blends humility with royalty in meeting the demands of modern governance. The palace stressed that the Alaafin has made a covenant with Yoruba ancestors to defend, protect, and promote the culture of his people.
The statement recalled Oyo’s historic significance dating back to Oranmiyan, grandson of Oduduwa, noting that the Oyo Empire rose to become West Africa’s largest and most authoritative kingdom through trade and military power.
“The British recognised lineage as meaningful supremacy and legitimacy, choosing to sign the Treaty of Cessation with the Alaafin as the superior head of the Yoruba nation,” the palace remarked.
The clarification followed growing controversy between the Alaafin and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, after the Ooni conferred the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Ibadan businessman Dotun Sanusi.
Earlier in the week, Alaafin Owoade had asserted that only his palace holds the authority to confer pan-Yoruba titles, giving the Ooni a 48-hour ultimatum to reverse the chieftaincy. The deadline has since lapsed.
Despite this, the Alaafin maintained that his stance was not a contest of egos but an obligation to safeguard Yoruba heritage.
“In politics also, he is concerned about the sanctity of his position and about whatever has direct bearing on the welfare of his people,” Durojaiye explained. “The precepts and concepts of Alaafin’s administration have continued to support and nurture Yoruba culture and civilisation from time immemorial.”