By Peter Omopo
A fresh dispute appears to be emerging between two of Yoruba land’s foremost traditional rulers—the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi—stemming from a recent cultural controversy in the United States.
The rift became publicly noticeable on Tuesday, April 29, during a programme organised by Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, in Ibadan, Oyo State. A viral video from the event showed Oba Owoade refusing to stand up to greet the Ooni as he approached other monarchs seated at the venue, sparking criticism and heated debates online.
While some observers interpreted the Alaafin’s action as a sign of disrespect, his Personal Assistant, Kolade Oladele, dismissed the reactions as attempts to incite discord among Yoruba monarchs. He described the controversy as a distraction from more pressing regional issues such as insecurity and youth development.
However, insider sources have linked the underlying tension to a March 2025 incident involving the Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, USA—an intentional Yoruba community established in 1970 by Oba Efuntola Adefunmi I, an African American who was crowned by the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
Following the murder of Adefunmi’s successor, Adejuyigbe, in July 2024, the current Ooni reportedly sent a team of Yoruba traditionalists to perform funeral and spiritual rites at the village. The delegation included prominent figures such as the Salu Edunabon, Oba Adesoji Oladepo, the Obalufe of Ife, and the Araba Agbaye.
According to sources, while still in seclusion ahead of his coronation, the Alaafin, Oba Owoade, contacted one of the monarchs in the Ooni’s delegation, demanding that they leave the village, which he claimed was Oyo territory.
“We were at Oyotunji Village on the directive of the Ooni to perform traditional rites,” one of the emissaries told Sunday PUNCH. “Then Oba Owoade called and told us to leave the place, saying the village falls under Oyo’s domain.”
The cultural and territorial dispute over Oyotunji appears to have deepened tensions between the two revered monarchs, raising concerns among Yoruba cultural observers about unity and leadership cohesion.
