The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, has refuted reports of a rift between him and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
Oba Owoade’s recent visit to the Oluwo of Iwo has triggered widespread insinuations on social media, with many interpreting the gesture as a snub on the Ooni of Ife.
The insinuations gained traction after the Oluwo openly declared that the Alaafin holds superiority over all traditional rulers in Yorubaland, a statement that further fuelled talk of tension between the two prominent monarchs.
In a viral video making the rounds, the Alaafin addressed the controversy, stressing that there is no conflict between him and the Ooni.
According to him, a visit to the Ooni was initially part of his planned itinerary but had to be rescheduled.
“It is not something you hide. Before we made all preparations for this journey, one of the kings I intended to visit was the Ooni of Ife.
“I informed my PA and Chief of Staff earlier to know when we would visit him, and his PAs were also contacted before we were informed he went to Kazakhstan.
“People who do not know about this are the ones spreading rumours on the internet. I have no rift with the Ooni. There was even a time I was with the Soun (of Ogbomoso), and we both spoke with the Ooni on the phone,” the monarch said.
He urged the public to disregard the insinuations, describing them as baseless and fuelled by mischief makers.
