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THE reasons Alaafin of Oyo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abimbola Owoade cancelled his courtesy visit to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has emerged.
Oba Abimbola Owoade, the Alaafin, had reportedly scheduled a courtesy call to the Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, but the meeting did not take place due to the latter’s absence from the country.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, Kolade Oladele, Personal Assistant to the Alaafin, said efforts were made to reach out to the Ooni’s palace ahead of the trip.
“We didn’t ignore the Ooni during the visit. We reached out to the palace but were told that Ooni wasn’t around,” Oladele stated.
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He added that the Ooni’s palace was originally included as the first stop in the Alaafin’s itinerary before information was received regarding the monarch’s absence.
“Due to this development, we had to visit the Oluwo first,” Oladele explained.
Oba Owoade’s visit to the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, on Tuesday sparked speculation of a strained relationship with the Ooni.
The Oluwo had publicly declared the Alaafin as superior to other traditional rulers in Yorubaland, stirring further controversy.
Long-standing claims of rivalry between supporters of both monarchs were reignited following the Oluwo’s remarks.
Oladele, however, dismissed suggestions of animosity between the two revered rulers, stating that there was no feud.
“I always tell people that there is no rift between Alaafin and the Ooni,” Oladele noted during the interview.
He emphasised that Oba Owoade is committed to Yoruba unity and harbours no personal grievances against fellow monarchs.
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“We didn’t visit Ooni because his palace informed us Baba was away. We will still pay an appreciation visit to him and to Governor Ademola Adeleke,” he added.
Oba Adekunle Oyelude, the Olowu of Kuta, corroborated the Alaafin’s claim, confirming prior plans to meet the Ooni.
“I was privy to the arrangement. Alaafin truly wanted to visit Ooni, but Baba was not at home,” Oba Oyelude said.
He affirmed that both royal fathers remain committed to the progress and unity of the Yoruba people.
In contrast, the Director of Media and Public Affairs at the Ooni’s palace, Moses Olafare, stated there was no formal notification from the Alaafin’s palace.
“We were not notified that Alaafin was coming to visit Ooni,” Olafare said on Thursday.
According to Olafare, neither official letter nor phone communication was received before the Ooni travelled out of Nigeria.
“What we got was an informal message from one of our security personnel, not an official contact,” Olafare clarified.
He stressed that prior knowledge of the Alaafin’s visit could have enabled appropriate arrangements, but no such information was provided.
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