The Yoruba Leaders of Thought, known as Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba, has appealed to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, to immediately put an end to their recent public disagreement.
The misunderstanding between the two monarchs reignited last week after the Alaafin criticised the Ooni’s decision to confer the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman Dotun Sanusi. The exchange has since drawn concern across Yorubaland, with fears it could polarise traditional institutions.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Ado Ekiti, the group’s National Leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, urged Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene swiftly and mediate peace between the two revered royal fathers and their supporters.
“We appeal to the South-West Council of Obas to have a standing committee that will act to nip similar schisms in the bud in the future before they detract from the honour and awe with which we hold our traditional rulers. If such protocols already exist, this channel should be utilised more effectively to prevent a repeat of this current embarrassment,” the statement signed by the group’s National Secretary, Bayo Aina, read.
Olusi stressed that the Yoruba traditional institution has historically been a rallying point for unity and identity, adding that prolonged hostilities between frontline monarchs risked weakening its moral authority and dignity in the eyes of the people.
