Details have emerged regarding the quiet tension between the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, following a viral video that captured the Alaafin seated as the Ooni exchanged pleasantries with fellow monarchs.
The video, recorded during a programme hosted by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu in Ibadan, Oyo State, on April 29, sparked mixed reactions, with many questioning why the Alaafin remained seated while the Ooni greeted others.
Findings by The PUNCH revealed that the friction may have started earlier in March 2025 during a traditional rite in the Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, United States.
According to insiders, the Ooni had dispatched a delegation to the US community after the July 2024 murder of its traditional leader, Oba Adejuyigbe Adefunmi. The team, comprising prominent monarchs and traditional priests, was tasked with conducting spiritual rites in the village, historically linked to the Yoruba crown.
A source privy to the visit alleged that Oba Owoade, still in seclusion at the time, made a call to one of the monarchs on the team, demanding they vacate the village, which he insisted belonged to the Oyo Kingdom.
“We were shocked by the call. He claimed Oyotunji was Oyo territory and said we had no right to perform rites there. But Oyotunji leaders were traditionally crowned by the Ooni,” a member of the delegation disclosed.
Coronation Snub Alleged
The source further claimed the Alaafin did not acknowledge the Ooni at his coronation ceremony, despite the Ooni’s presence with a 38-member entourage from Osun State.
“Till date, the Alaafin has not reached out to thank the Ooni for attending the coronation. The Ibadan event was their first meeting since then, and the Alaafin’s demeanour says a lot,” the source added.
“Ooni is not in any supremacy tussle. His position in Yorubaland is clear and undisputed.”
Alaafin’s Camp Reacts
However, the Alaafin’s Personal Assistant, Kolade Oladele, dismissed the claims, describing them as “deliberate attempts to stir discord.”
“There is no rift. The Alaafin didn’t issue any directive concerning Oyotunji. Kabiyesi was in seclusion preparing for leadership and had no time for such distractions,” he said.
On the coronation controversy, Oladele insisted that the Ooni was officially invited and duly honoured.
He said: “Why would the Alaafin send a powerful delegation to invite the Ooni only to ignore him at the event? That narrative is false. People are just conjuring issues.”
He stressed that the Alaafin remains focused on governance and development in Oyo and bears no ill will towards the Ooni or other traditional rulers.
“We won’t engage in needless drama. Kabiyesi respects all Yoruba monarchs and is committed to unity,” Oladele said.
Background: Oyotunji and Its Royal Roots
Founded in 1970 by Oba Efuntola Adefunmi I, Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina serves as a spiritual home for African Americans reconnecting with Yoruba traditions. Adefunmi was installed by the late Ooni Sijuwade, and his successors, including the late Adejuyigbe, were traditionally linked to the Ife crown.
The community is currently in transition after Adejuyigbe’s death, with Yoruba monarchs actively involved in maintaining cultural rites.