Ooni, father of all monarchs in Yorubaland — Elebuibon

Ifa Priest, cultural and traditional icon, Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon, has declared that the Ooni of Ife is the father of all monarchs in Yorubaland, including the Alaafin of Oyo.

Elebuibon said this in an interview with Vanguard newspaper over the seeming face-off between the current occupiers of the seat of Ooni and Alaafin.

It would be recalled that the face-off resurfaced when the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, issued a 48-hour threat to the Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, over the conferment of a chieftaincy title to Chief Dotun Sanusi.

Speaking with Vanguard newspaper, Elebuibon said: “Ile-Ife is the source from which every other throne derived authority, while Oyo was the political source from which the frontiers of Yoruba territory expanded.

“The rivalry has its source in the colonial political intervention in Yoruba and the deliberate efforts to change the tradition of Yoruba as a race.

“The supremacy battle between the two thrones or monarchs has nothing to do with Yoruba tradition or history.

“Traditionally, the relationship between the Ooni and Alaafin is like that of a father to a child and a child does not disrespect his father.

“But like I said, the advent of the colonialist and later the political class gave birth to the current situation.

“The Ooni, as a father, was blessed with many sons, among whom was the Oranmiyan, who became the Alafin and was very powerful.

“He expanded the kingdom to the status of an Empire, but that does not make him superior to his father.

“Because the Colonialists made a treaty with the Alaafin does not make him superior over the Ooni, it is the white man’s way of creating division within the race.

“But according to Yoruba tradition, Ooni is the most superior among Yoruba traditional rulers.”

Asked to what extent the rise of the Oyo Empire in the 16th to 17th century challenged the Ooni’s spiritual and cultural dominance, Elebuibon replied: “Well, as I have explained that the rise of the Oyo Empire was due to the personality and Charisma of Oranmiyan, whose expansionist agenda thrive beyond him, but that could be likened to a son, whose exploits outgrow those of his father.

“He remains the son of his father.

“Besides, all of these successes does not make the Oyo Empire the origin of the Yoruba race.

“That is settled in both contemporary history and Yoruba traditional history.

“Without necessarily going too much into history, we all know that Colonial rule has an agenda wherever it goes.

“They try to create division among the people in a bid to keep them under their rule for as long as possible.

“Signing a treaty with the Alaafin is one such situation.

“While they needed to resolve a prolonged crisis among some monarchs in the Lagos area during colonial rule, the colonial masters pleaded with the Ooni of Ife to leave Ile-Ife to resolve the crisis.

“Why didn’t they seek Alaafin’s help? Remember also that when Ooni went on that quest, no traditional ruler wore a beaded crown till he returned to his palace.”

On the argument that the supremacy tussle is rooted more in modern politics than in history, Elebuibon said: “Of course, there was no place for such supremacy tussle in Yoruba culture and tradition until the birth of colonialism and politics.

“Other than that, Ooni is the father of all traditional rulers in Yorubaland, including the Alaafin of Oyo.”