Settling the supremacy tussle through the lens of history

The recent resurgence of the supremacy battle between the thrones of the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo has once again cast a shadow over the unity of the Yoruba nation. What should have been a celebration of culture and leadership on Sunday, December 21, 2025, became the flashpoint for a fresh round of an age-old rivalry.

The event in question the conferment of the title Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Mr. Seyi Tinubu and Obaloyin of Yorubaland on Senator Abdulaziz Yari by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade was marked by a pointed declaration. The Alaafin asserted that the authority to confer chieftaincy titles covering the entire Yorubaland resides exclusively with the Oyo throne. This declaration was a direct challenge to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, who had earlier conferred a similar pan-Yoruba title on Chief Dotun Sanusi.

This development is not merely a clash of egos; it is a symptom of a deeper fracture caused by the distortion and weaponization of history. For decades, the Yoruba race has watched as its two most prominent monarchs engage in a cyclical war of attrition, one standing on the pedestal of spiritual origin (The Source), and the other on the dais of imperial political power (The Sword).

The tragedy of this recurring conflict is that it relies on a binary interpretation of history that suggests one must be absolute master over the other. This is a false dichotomy that accurate history can, and must, correct.

To end this supremacy battle, we must return to unadulterated historical facts. History tells us that Ile-Ife is the spiritual cradle of the Yoruba people, the source from which all crowns, including that of Oyo, derive their legitimacy. It is the "Land of Expansion" from which the sons of Oduduwa migrated to found other kingdoms. In this spiritual and ancestral regard, the primacy of the Ooni as the occupant of the source is incontestable.
However, history also records that the Old Oyo Empire rose to become the most formidable political and military force in Yorubaland, extending its influence as far as Dahomey (modern-day Benin Republic). The Alaafin, as the head of this empire, wielded administrative and political power that protected Yorubaland from external aggression. This political prowess is a heritage of which every Yoruba person should be proud.

The friction arises when the political might of the 18th century is used to challenge the spiritual seniority of the 12th century, or when spiritual seniority is used to dismiss the validity of political evolution. The solution lies in a "Unity of Truth." We must accept a history that accommodates both realities: Ife as the spiritual head and Oyo as the political vanguard. One does not diminish the other; they complement each other.

Furthermore, we must ask: of what use is a supremacy battle in 2025? In a modern constitutional democracy where traditional rulers have been stripped of administrative power, fighting over who is Supreme is an exercise in futility that benefits no one but the detractors of the Yoruba people. The energy spent on these squabbles should be redirected toward addressing the economic marginalization, security challenges, and cultural erosion facing the South-West.

The Yoruba nation is tired of the embarrassment. We call on our revered fathers, the Ooni and the Alaafin, to sheath their swords. We urge the Yoruba Council of Elders and other socio-cultural groups to broker a permanent truce based on accurate historical records, not revisionist narratives.

Let the crowns unite. If the source is poisoned by discord, the river cannot flow. The supremacy battle must end, not by one conquering the other, but by both bowing to the supremacy of the truth and the collective interest of the Yoruba people.