A Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has stirred widespread debate after declaring that the era of imperial dominance associated with the old Oyo Empire has ended, insisting that no traditional ruler in Yorubaland holds supremacy over others.
Ajayi made the assertion in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, alongside a photograph of the current Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, arguing against claims of hierarchical superiority among Yoruba monarchs.
“We are no longer in the era of the Oyo Empire,” Ajayi wrote. “Rome and the United Kingdom, which once ruled large parts of the world as empires, no longer exercise sovereignty over their former colonies. Times have changed. We are now in a new world.”
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He stressed that the historical Oyo Empire should not be conflated with contemporary cultural or political authority, noting that the territory now referred to as Yorubaland was never entirely under the control of the Alaafin.
“Oyo Empire belongs to history,” Ajayi added. “The whole of what we now know as Yorubaland was never under the rule of the Alaafin.”
The presidential aide urged traditional rulers across the South-West to embrace collaborative leadership in line with modern realities, saying harmony and mutual respect among monarchs would better serve their people.
“Our society will function better if natural rulers understand their roles in today’s world,” he said. “Our kings should work together to promote peace, unity and development in their domains while preserving our cultural heritage.”
Ajayi’s comments have triggered mixed reactions on social media, reopening long-standing debates about hierarchy, influence and authority within Yoruba traditional institutions.
While some cultural historians maintain that the Alaafin’s stool occupies a historically prominent position within Yoruba civilisation, others reject any claim of overarching authority, pointing instead to the spiritual primacy of Ile-Ife and the ancestral role of the Ooni of Ife in Yoruba cosmology.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with New Daily Prime, a legal scholar and historian, Sesan Fabamise, clarified that no Yoruba monarch exercises authority beyond his immediate domain.
“No Yoruba Oba has jurisdiction that extends beyond the town he governs,” Fabamise said.
He cautioned traditional rulers against reviving old rivalries, stressing that their focus should be on development and good governance.
“These are relatively young monarchs. They should be properly counselled not to perpetuate ancient rivalries but to concentrate on improving the welfare of their people. Their legacies will be judged by the positive impact they make,” he added.
Fabamise also dismissed claims that any Supreme Court judgment has established the supremacy of a particular Oba in Yorubaland, warning against misinterpretation of judicial decisions.
“I am not aware of any such Supreme Court judgment. If one exists, it must be examined dispassionately. Claims of superiority based on colonial documents are misleading,” he said.
According to him, many colonial-era treaties often cited in supremacy arguments were signed under questionable circumstances.
“Any Oba claiming superiority on the basis of a British-signed agreement is being disingenuous. Colonial authorities often chose vulnerable individuals to sign those documents. Superiority cannot be determined by such means,” he noted.
Fabamise explained that traditional rulership in Nigeria is governed strictly by the Chieftaincy Laws of individual states, stressing that no law confers overarching authority on any monarch across the Yoruba nation.
“There is no town called Yorubaland,” he said. “Even during the Oyo Empire’s suzerainty, its authority did not cover all Yoruba territories.”
He recalled that several areas, including Akoko, Owo, Ikale and Ondo, were never under Oyo control, while Ekiti communities resisted Oyo expansion, leading to the Ekiti Parapo War, which ended on March 14, 1893, with a ‘no victor, no vanquished’ settlement.
“No Yoruba Oba has authority beyond his town,” Fabamise concluded, urging monarchs to prioritise unity, peace and development over symbolic supremacy disputes.
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