Ooni’s Spokesperson Blasts Alaafin’s Ultimatum as “Empty Threat from a Dead Empire”
“Alaafin’s Ultimatum Is an Empty Threat from a Dead Empire” — Ooni’s Spokesperson
The Ooni of Ife’s spokesman, Mr. Moses Olafare, has dismissed a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo to withdraw the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland as “an empty threat from a dead empire.” The ultimatum came after the Alaafin demanded that Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi retract the title he granted to Chief Dotun Sanusi, asserting that only the Alaafin has the exclusive right to confer titles spanning all Yorubaland, a right he says the Supreme Court has affirmed. Vanguard News
Responding via a WhatsApp post, Olafare criticized the ultimatum as irrelevant and out of touch, calling those who issued it “jokers.” He emphasized that while youths across the Southwest are benefiting from the Ooni’s initiatives, like business development and job creation, some people remain stuck in a power struggle tied to an “expired empire.” Vanguard News
Olafare went further to highlight the Ooni’s active plans for the groundbreaking of the Ojaja smart city in Ibadan, which he says will be the largest in Africa, while others are “somewhere issuing 48-hour empty threats.” Vanguard News
The Oore of Otun-Ekiti, paramount ruler of Mobaland, also weighed in, stating there is no record or evidence that the Ooni ever conferred the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland. He challenged anyone to provide proof of such installation. The Oore affirmed the Ooni’s undisputed status as the spiritual head of the Oduduwa race and his right to grant titles when appropriate. Vanguard News
