The Yoruba Leaders of Thought (Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba) have called for an immediate end to the ongoing rift between two of Yorubaland’s foremost traditional rulers — the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade.
Tensions between the monarchs resurfaced last week after the Alaafin publicly criticised the Ooni over the chieftaincy title conferred on prominent businessman Dotun Sanusi, a move the Alaafin reportedly considered inappropriate.
In a statement on Sunday titled “Time to Sheath the Sword”, the group’s National Leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, urged restraint and appealed for swift intervention from the South-West Council of Obas, as well as the Governors of Osun and Oyo States, Ademola Adeleke and Seyi Makinde, to mediate and de-escalate tensions.
“We appeal to the South-West Council of Obas to have a standing committee that will act to nip similar schism in the bud in future before they detract from the honour and awe that we hold our traditional rulers,” the statement read.
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Signed by the group’s National Secretary, Bayo Aina, and made available in Ado Ekiti, the statement expressed concern that the public disagreement was generating unnecessary division at a critical time in the region’s political and socio-economic development.
“We are distraught that at a time when every hand should be on deck to support and ensure the unquestionable success of one of the most illustrious Yoruba leaders and son, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, some of our foremost leaders at various levels are more or less fuelling this fire,” Olusi stated.
The group warned that historical grievances being revisited in the heat of the feud risk deepening disunity rather than promoting cultural pride and progress.
“Rather than using such narratives for the purpose of forging unity and a sense of pride among our people… historical narratives have been weaponised into a tool to promote discord and resentment,” the group lamented.
The Yoruba Leaders of Thought stressed that now more than ever, the Yoruba nation needs harmony among its traditional rulers, political leaders, and citizens to address pressing developmental challenges and contribute meaningfully to the progress of Nigeria under President Tinubu’s leadership.
Despite the controversy, the group commended President Tinubu for what it described as a strategic and compassionate appointment of Chief Opeyemi Agbaje as the new Chairman of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
“We believe that prudent and profitable management of pension funds and easy access without compromising the integrity of the system will ensure that pensioners have a more comfortable retirement,” they noted, while acknowledging the rising concern over old-age poverty in the country.
The statement concluded with a fresh call for elders and leaders across Yorubaland to prioritise peace and focus on unity for the overall upliftment of the Yoruba people both at home and in the diaspora.
