From the cradle of Yorubaland to the courts of colonial administrators, the question of supremacy between the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo has never been a silent one. It is not a quarrel born in modern times, nor a creation of social media debates.
Rather, it is a historical contest woven into the very fabric of Yoruba civilisation, a tug of war between spiritual authority and political power. From the earliest days when Ile-Ife was revered as the source of creation, and Oyo rose as an imperial force stretching across West Africa, the thrones of the Ooni and the Alaafin have stood like twin pillars, each claiming an “I-pass-my-neighbour” form of primacy. Their rivalry is as old as Yoruba history itself.
1. Early Rise of Oyo (14th–15th century)
History records that Oranmiyan was originally a prince of Ife and later became the first Alaafin of Oyo, before returning to Ife to become the Ooni.
His dual role created the first recorded tension: Ife (spiritual crale) vs Oyo (political empire). Some traditions also suggest that the Oonis who came after Oranmiyan (like Ooni Adagba) had disputes with Alaafins on the tribute issue.
2. Alaafin Sango vs. Ife Priests (15th century)
Alaafin Sango (Oyo), known as a powerful but fiery ruler. Ife’s Ooni at the time is less clearly recorded, but traditions keep record that Ife priests resisted some of Sango’s demands for recognition. This set the tone for Oyo’s political power, not always aligning with Ife’s spiritual authority.
3. Alaafin Ajaka vs. Ooni Aworokolokin (16th century)
Alaafin Ajaka (Sango’s brother) had a turbulent reign. Ooni Aworokolokin is noted in oral tradition as resisting Oyo’s attempts to influence Ife’s affairs. This was one of the clearer early disputes between the two stools.
4. The Gaa Crisis (18th century)
Alaafin Abiodun (1770–1789) vs. Ooni Ojigidiri. During the time of Bashorun Gaa (the powerful Oyo prime minister), the Ooni was drawn into disputes because Ife rejected what was tagged as “Oyo’s overbearing control.”
Ooni Ojigidiri resisted Oyo’s expansionist claims over Ife territory.
5. Collapse of the Oyo Empire (19th century)
Alaafin Oluewu (1837–1839) was defeated by the Fulani at the Battle of Ilorin. At this point, Ooni Gbegbaaje (1839–1849) leveraged this decline to reassert Ife’s independence. This, however, created fresh rifts, as Oyo weakened while Ife claimed to be the true Yoruba unifier. (A similar case for the Orimolusi and Awujale of Ijebu Igbo and Ijebu Ode, respectively)
6. Alaafin Ladigbolu I (1911–1944) vs. Ooni Ademiluyi Ajagun (1910–1930). They openly disagreed over recognition by the British colonial government.
The Alaafin wanted to be seen as “Paramount Ruler of the Yorubas,” but the Ooni rejected that claim.
7. Alaafin Adeyemi II (1945–1955) vs. Ooni Adesoji Aderemi (1930–1980). Ooni Aderemi, being educated and politically connected, became the first African governor in Nigeria (Western Region, 1960). This heightened the rivalry as the Ooni now had political clout in addition to spiritual primacy.
8. Alaafin Adeyemi III (1970–2022) vs. Ooni Okunade Sijuwade (1980–2015).
There were well-documented cold wars between them over who was the “number one Yoruba Oba.”
They sometimes avoided attending the same functions, and their rivalry colored Yoruba politics in the 1980s–90s.
Relations improved somewhat when Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi (2015–present) came in, though historic tensions remained symbolic, until recent times…..
Source(s)
Saburi Biobaku, The Yoruba in History (1955) – documents Yoruba political institutions and the Oyo–Ife relationship.
Akinjogbin, I. A. (1967), Dahomey and Its Neighbours, 1708–1818 – gives context on Oyo’s power struggles and Alaafin Abiodun’s era.
Toyin Falola & Matthew Heaton, A History of Nigeria (2008) – covers Yoruba leadership struggles in precolonial and colonial times.
J.F. Ade Ajayi & R. Smith, Yoruba Warfare in the 19th Century (1964) – details Oyo’s decline, Ife’s resurgence, and Ilorin wars.
Olatunji Ojo, “Yoruba Kingship in Historical Perspective” (Journal articles, 2000s) – analyses rivalry between Yoruba kings, including Ooni vs Alaafin.
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