- Says Ooni of Ife, other obas not in rivalry
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has boldly declared himself the number one traditional ruler in Yorubaland, invoking the might and glory of the old Oyo Empire, which once stretched across and shaped Yoruba civilisation.
In a no-holds-barred interview on Edmund Obilo’s channel, the monarch left no one in doubt about where history places him.
Asked point-blank whether the Alaafin is the supreme king in Yorubaland, Oba Owoade answered without blinking:
“Historically, yes. If you want to go by history and the contribution of Oyo to Yoruba civilisation, then I would say that the Alaafin is number one.”
It is a statement that will reverberate from the ancient walls of Ile-Ife to palaces across the South-West, coming at a time when the supremacy contest between the Alaafin and the Ooni of Ife has remained a sensitive fault line in Yoruba traditional politics.
But the Alaafin was quick to douse any suggestion of a personal war.
“I don’t fight for supremacy or whatever with anybody,” he said, dismissing insinuations that he was throwing a direct challenge at the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
According to him, his declaration is not about ego, but about history – a history written in conquest, administration and culture, where Oyo was the empire that gave the Yoruba race its political structure, its cavalry power and its imperial prestige.
For Oba Owoade, the success of Oyo is the honour of all Yoruba.
“I believe that when Oyo succeeds, the Yoruba in their entirety get honoured. That’s my belief,” he said, adding that he prays regularly for the progress of the Yoruba nation.
Beyond the throne politics, the monarch spoke passionately about the new Oyo he is building.
He expressed optimism over the proposed circular road project and its dualisation, linking areas like Infinity and Sabo – a project he said will transform the face of the ancient city.