REVEALED; Why new Alaafin of Oyo did not visit Ooni of Ife

REVEALED; Why new Alaafin of Oyo did not visit Ooni of Ife

The palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, has addressed growing public speculation surrounding the monarch’s recent visit to Osun State, during which he did not pay a courtesy call on the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

Clarifying the development, the Alaafin’s Personal Assistant, Kolade Oladele, told Saturday PUNCH that the monarch had indeed planned to visit the Ooni first upon arriving in the state but was informed that Oba Ogunwusi was out of the country at the time.

“We didn’t snub the Ooni. Our protocol team reached out to his palace to notify them of our intention to visit, but we were told Baba was unavailable. That was why we proceeded to visit the Oluwo instead,” Oladele explained.

Oba Owoade’s meeting with the Oluwo of Iwo, however, sparked controversy after the Oluwo publicly declared that the Alaafin holds a superior position over other traditional rulers in Yorubaland.

The comment reignited debates over traditional hierarchy, particularly between supporters of the Alaafin and the Ooni.

Despite the tension, Oladele firmly dismissed claims of animosity between the two royal figures. He emphasized the Alaafin’s commitment to unity among Yoruba monarchs and revealed that the king plans to visit both Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Ooni in the near future.

“There’s no bad blood. Baba Alaafin remains focused on the unity and progress of the Yoruba people. We’re already planning an appreciation visit to the governor and the Ooni soon,” he added.

Supporting this position, the Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyelude, who was privy to the monarch’s travel plans, confirmed that the Alaafin had intended to meet the Ooni first before proceeding to other engagements.

However, the Ooni’s palace offered a different perspective. Speaking to *Saturday PUNCH*, Moses Olafare, Director of Media and Public Affairs at the Ooni’s palace, said there was no formal communication from the Alaafin’s camp regarding the visit.

“We received no letter or official notice. What we heard was through one of our security officers, who said he was contacted informally by someone from the Alaafin’s palace asking if Baba was around. By then, everyone already knew the Ooni was out of the country,” Olafare said.