“You Have No Power Beyond the LG” – Ex-Governor’s Aide to Alaafin of Oyo Over Clash With Ooni of Ife

Former Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties to the late Ondo State Governor, Doyin Odebowale, has faulted the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, for confronting the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, over a chieftaincy title recently given to Ibadan businessman, Dotun Sanusi.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Odebowale stressed that traditional rulers have no constitutional powers beyond their local government areas and are, in fact, subordinate to elected council chairmen.

“With respect to most of these rulers now, there is a misapprehension of roles. They want to be addressed as Kabiyesi, but they are not. They are under the local government chairman in their respective localities. So this idea of somebody sitting in Oyo and legislating on what happens in Ile-Ife is a misnomer,” he said.

He argued that the Alaafin may have been misled into thinking there was a jurisdictional dispute with the Ooni, adding that he saw “no justification for this distraction.”

Odebowale also lamented what he called “permissive decadence” among monarchs, accusing many of abandoning tradition in the pursuit of fame and recognition. According to him, “It appears to me that they are in a hurry to discard tradition. They are so happy when they are addressed as Oba, assistant pastor, or Alhaji; that is total abnegation of traditional values.”

Providing historical background, Odebowale noted that colonial policies weakened powerful empires by reducing monarchs’ authority through chieftaincy laws. He explained that by law, monarchs’ powers do not go beyond their local governments. “The Ooni of Ife is in Osun State with his traditional council, and the Alaafin of Oyo is in Oyo State with his own. By Oyo State chieftaincy law, only four Obas are recognised as imperial majesties. The Alaafin cannot act beyond his local government. By law, he is under his local government chairman,” he explained.

This comes after last weekend’s row when the Ooni conferred the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Dotun Sanusi. The Alaafin reacted by issuing a 48-hour ultimatum demanding the title’s withdrawal, claiming only he has the authority to grant Yoruba-wide titles.

The Ooni’s spokesman, Moses Olafare, dismissed the warning as an “empty threat.” Meanwhile, the Alaafin’s aide, Bode Durojaiye, later clarified that the monarch was not seeking supremacy over others but only acting to protect Yoruba tradition.