The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said he would not respond to the 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, over the conferment of the “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” title on Ibadan businessman, Dotun Sanusi.
Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, stated on Tuesday that the monarch would not dignify the ultimatum with an official response, stressing that the matter has been left to the “court of public opinion.”
In a Facebook post, Olafare wrote, “My Principal has directed me against issuing a Press Release on the empty threat of the Alawada Babasala. We cannot dignify the undignified with an official response. We leave the matter to be handled in the public court of opinion, as it is already being treated. Let’s rather focus on narratives that unite us rather than those capable of dividing us.”
The Alaafin of Oyo had earlier described the Ooni’s action as an “affront” and a challenge to his authority, insisting that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive right to bestow titles with jurisdiction over the entire Yorubaland.
He gave the Ooni a 48-hour deadline to withdraw the title from Sanusi, a demand the Ife monarch has now chosen to ignore.
