The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade I, has asserted that the Alaafin stool remains the foremost traditional institution in Yorubaland, grounding his claim in the political dominance and historical contributions of the ancient Oyo Empire.
Speaking during an interview on ‘State Affairs’ hosted by broadcaster Edmund Obilo, the monarch stated that while he is not seeking a supremacy tussle with other traditional rulers, history firmly establishes the Alaafin’s primacy.
‘Alaafin is the supreme king in Yoruba land. Historically, yes I am. Alaafin is number one,’ Oba Owoade said. ‘I don’t fight for supremacy or whatever with anybody. But all I know is that historically, if you want to go by history and then the contribution of Yoruba civilisation, then I would say that Alaafin is number one.’
The monarch’s statements arrive against the backdrop of past friction with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi. In August 2025, the Alaafin publicly challenged the Ooni’s conferment of the title ‘Okanlomo of Yorubaland’ on Ibadan businessman Dotun Sanusi, maintaining that only the Alaafin possesses the traditional authority to bestow chieftaincy titles spanning the entire Yoruba territory.
Rejecting assertions that the Old Oyo Empire collapsed, Oba Owoade clarified that the empire’s power merely underwent a decline after its peak between the 14th and 18th centuries.
‘I wouldn’t say the Oyo Empire fell… but in a way, the power had dwindled. It declined. So, that is exactly what happened,’ he noted, adding that the spirit and cultural lineage of the empire endure across numerous Yoruba towns. To honor this shared heritage, the monarch announced the launch of ‘Oyo Empire Day’ to unite descendants across Nigeria and the diaspora.
However, Oba Owoade declined to comment on Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent appointment of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as chairman of the reconstituted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs. The appointment followed a 2025 legal amendment by the Oyo State House of Assembly that revoked the Alaafin’s permanent chairmanship of the council.
