Ooni’s Aide Dismisses Alaafin’s 48-Hour Ultimatum, Says It’s An Empty Threat

Moses Olafare, media aide to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said the monarch will not be issuing any response to the 48-hour ultimatum given by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade.

KanyiDaily recalls that the Alaafin had demanded that the Ooni revoke the chieftaincy title of “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” recently bestowed on Ibadan businessman Dotun Sanusi, arguing that only his throne has the authority to grant such a title across Yorubaland.

In a statement on Monday by his spokesperson, Bode Durojaiye, the Alaafin insisted that the Ooni’s traditional powers are limited to Ife and its surrounding local government areas, warning of serious consequences if the title was not withdrawn within two days.

Reacting via his Facebook page on Tuesday, Olafare said the Ooni had instructed him not to dignify the ultimatum with a formal reply, dismissing it instead as an “empty threat.”

“My Principal has directed me against issuing a Press Release on the Empty Threat of the Alawada Babasala. I beg to disappoint you, gentlemen of the press,

We cannot dignify the undignifyable 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 the ones capable of dividing us. 48 Hours My Foot!” he wrote.

KanyiDaily recalls that Oba Abimbola Owoade was recently crowned as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo, taking over from Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who died on April 22, 2022, at the age of 83.