The slow-boiling rivalry between two foremost monarchs in Yorubaland appears to have snowballed into the home of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the awarding of titles to two of his family members by the competing kings.
Two weeks after the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, bagged the title of Yeye Asiwaju of Yorubaland from the Ooni of Ife on Sunday, December 7, the Alaafin of Oyo has set December 21 to install the President son, Seyi as the Okanlomo of Yorubaland.
Although Seyi is the most visible son of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has three biological children with the former Lagos Governor: Zainab Abisola Tinubu, Habibat Tinubu and Olayinka Tinubu.
He had Seyi and two other children from previous relationships.
Equally set to be honoured by the Alaafin is Senator Yari as the Obaloyin of Yorubaland.
According to invitations in circulation, the installation of Seyi Tinubu son is scheduled to take place in the palace of the Alaafin.
The title is the same awarded earlier by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, to influential Ibadan businessman, Prince Dotun Sanusi, as the Okanlomo Oodua in Ile-Ife.
Palace sources said that the local organising committee was working around the clock to ensure a successful event.
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Relations between the Ooni and the Alaafin have historically reflected the broader power dynamics of Yoruba history.
While Ile-Ife is revered as the spiritual cradle of the Yoruba nation, Oyo emerged as a powerful political and military empire centuries ago.
In modern times, occasional disagreements over hierarchy, protocol, and representation in national affairs created visible rifts between the two palaces.
crisis that erupted after the Ooni of Ife,conferred the chieftaincy title “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” on businessman Dotun Sanusi.
The Alaafin of Oyo immediately challenged the Ooni’s authority to bestow such a title on anyone, arguing that only his stool can validly confer Yoruba‑wide titles.
According to the Alaafin, the Ooni’s authority is legally and traditionally limited to Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South local government areas of Osun State, making the conferment an overreach.
In a statement from the Alaafin’s media office, the monarch issued a 48‑hour ultimatum to the Ooni to revoke the title, warning of “dire consequences” if the demand is ignored.
The Alaafin referenced a Supreme Court ruling that he claimed supported his exclusive right to bestow titles covering Yorubaland, emphasising that his stance is aimed at preserving traditional hierarchy and cultural order within the Yoruba nation.
However, the Ooni, through his media aide, Moses Olafare, dismissed the 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin.
The feud led to a division, with certain groups supporting the Alaafin and others claiming the Ooni held a higher rank.
Previous efforts by Yoruba elders and political figures to mend fences often resulted in brief symbolic gestures without lasting effect.
However, the Lagos meeting appears to have gone further to design a structured framework for ongoing dialogue through the newly created Joint Council of Yoruba Unity.
