According to a report by The Guardian Nigeria on Thursday, August 28, 2025, renowned Ifa priest and Yoruba cultural icon, Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon, has reaffirmed the supremacy of the Ooni of Ife as the foremost traditional ruler in Yorubaland, dismissing claims that the Alaafin of Oyo holds higher authority.
Speaking in an interview against the backdrop of renewed rivalry between the two thrones, Elebuibon stressed that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, occupies the most exalted position in Yoruba tradition. His comments followed a recent assertion by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, who questioned the Ooni’s right to confer chieftaincy titles across Yorubaland.
According to Elebuibon, no Yoruba monarch should contest the supremacy of the Ooni, describing such attempts as equivalent to “a child disrespecting his father.” He explained that the Ooni’s throne represents the spiritual and ancestral source of all Yoruba kingship, and therefore commands respect from other rulers.
“Ordinarily, no Oba in Yorubaland should challenge the Ooni. The Ooni is the father of all and the most superior among the race. What is happening now is unnecessary and only stirs disunity,” he said.
The Ifa priest called for restraint and maturity in managing the relationship between the two monarchs, warning that continued supremacy battles only embarrass the Yoruba race at home and abroad. He urged those close to the Alaafin’s palace and groups such as the Oyo Legacy not to incite rivalry that undermines unity.
Elebuibon further explained that before the colonial era, the Ooni and the Alaafin enjoyed complementary roles that never resulted in conflict. While Ile-Ife was the spiritual source of Yoruba civilization, Oyo served as the political and military powerhouse that expanded the Yoruba frontier. He traced the current rivalry to colonial interventions and treaties that elevated the Alaafin politically, creating divisions foreign to Yoruba tradition.
“The Ooni, as a father, was blessed with many sons, including Oranmiyan, who later became the Alaafin. Though Oranmiyan was powerful and expanded Oyo into an empire, he remained the son of the Ooni. A son cannot be superior to his father,” Elebuibon clarified.
He concluded by urging both Oba Ogunwusi and Oba Owoade to work together in unity, prioritising the progress of the Yoruba people over supremacy struggles. “They know the right things to do; what they need is to ignore busybodies around them and focus on peace and development,” he added.
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