The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade.

A fresh supremacy battle is brewing in Yorubaland as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has openly dismissed the 48-hour ultimatum issued to him by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade, over the conferment of the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title on Ibadan business mogul, Dotun Sanusi.

The Alaafin, in a strongly worded statement released on Monday through his spokesperson, Bode Durojaiye, described the Ooni’s action as a direct affront to his authority. He insisted that only the Alaafin holds the exclusive traditional right to bestow pan-Yoruba titles, warning that failure by the Ooni to withdraw the honour within two days would attract serious consequences.

Reacting early Tuesday morning, Ooni’s spokesman, Moses Olafare, said his principal would not bow to what he called “empty threats.” Writing on Facebook, Olafare disclosed that Oba Ogunwusi had instructed him not to issue any official press release on the matter. According to him, the Ooni believes the controversy should be left to the “public court of opinion,” describing the ultimatum as undignified. “We cannot dignify the undignifiable with a response,” he wrote, adding pointedly, “48 hours, my foot.”

Olafare further noted that the Ooni’s palace would rather focus on issues that unite the Yoruba people instead of fueling division.

The Alaafin, however, has maintained that the conferment of the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title by the Ooni was an outright violation of traditional norms and even court rulings. He cited a Supreme Court judgment which, he claimed, affirmed that only the Alaafin holds the prerogative to grant Yoruba-wide chieftaincy titles.

This latest tussle has revived memories of a similar incident in 1991 when the late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, strongly opposed the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, for bestowing the title of Akinrogun of Yorubaland on former NRC Chairman, Chief Tom Ikimi. At the time, Alaafin Adeyemi described it as an abuse of cultural authority and a desecration of Yoruba tradition.

Analysts note that the current standoff reflects long-standing rivalries between the two foremost Yoruba royal stools—the Oyo throne, historically regarded as the political head of the Yoruba race, and the Ife throne, revered as its spiritual source.

As of Tuesday evening, neither palace had shown signs of backing down, raising concerns that the confrontation could further strain relations between the two ancient monarchies unless mediated by other Yoruba traditional institutions.