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[OPINION] Game Of Thrones: Ooni, Alaafin And The Ridiculing oF Yoruba Heritage

Published

9 months ago

August 20, 2025

Editor

By Israel Adebiyi

I recently visited my family in Lagos, and as always, my aged father took time to tutor me on the significance of my name — Adeniran (the crown has lineage). He reminded me of our heritage and where our royalty stems from. His weak voice, now distorted by the frequent grinding of his teeth, carried a burden of weight and seriousness.

“You are royal,” he declared firmly, “and you cannot afford to mess around, nor allow anyone to mess with you. Omo Aláwó ni ẹ́, Aláwó yàdé, Aláwó jọbí etí Ẹ̀dẹ.”

The lesson was clear: royalty is serious business and cannot be trivialised. Yet, barely two weeks after, some royal fathers seemed not to have received this same memo from the source where they ought to have. Instead, they are on national tabloids, dragging themselves before the public.

As you read this piece, kindly note this disclaimer: as the young ones would say when they attempt a proverb in the midst of elders, t’otó̀ ń ṣe bí owe, òun kì í ṣe owe. I am but a child before the custodians of wisdom. I dare not assume the place of counsel before monarchs who are living reservoirs of knowledge. My words are but whispers in the presence of gods—unworthy to instruct those who hold the staff of tradition and the heritage of our people.

In Yoruba history, the crown has never been a mere ornament. It is a living symbol, an emblem of continuity, and a spiritual covenant between a people and their deities. When a Yoruba monarch steps out in full regalia, he does not walk as an individual but as the custodian of centuries-old heritage, the voice of the ancestors, and the embodiment of the divine on earth. That is why kingship in Yorubaland is not just political; it is metaphysical, transcending ordinary governance to embody the very soul of the people. As the Yoruba say, “Oba kii ku, oba wà bí o ti wà” (a king never dies, he only transforms in existence).

Take the story of the late Obafemi Awolowo’s collaboration with Yoruba monarchs in the Western Region. While Awolowo carried the vision of modern governance, it was the blessings, counsel, and mobilization of traditional rulers that anchored his reforms in education, health, and infrastructure. The people followed Awolowo not just because he was brilliant, but because their kings gave legitimacy to his vision. This sacred synergy between traditional authority and modern governance remains one of the strongest demonstrations of how monarchs elevate their people.

Similarly, the Alaafin of Oyo has historically stood as the political rallying point of the Yoruba, the custodian of the Oyo Empire’s legacy, and the symbol of unity in times of turmoil. The Ooni of Ife, on the other hand, carries the spiritual weight of being the custodian of Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba race. Both stools are not just thrones — they are altars upon which the destiny of the Yoruba people rests. To sit upon them is to step into a covenant of restraint, wisdom, and eternal dignity.

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This is why the current supremacy clash between the Alaafin of Oyo and the Ooni of Ife is deeply unsettling. It is not about whether one monarch is right or the other is wrong. It is about what these revered stools represent. The Yoruba say “Kabiyesi, Alase Igbakeji Orisa” — unquestionable ruler, second only to the gods. When such figures are seen washing their royal linens in the market square of public opinion, it is not they alone who are diminished; the collective pride of the Yoruba nation is bruised. When elephants fight, the grass suffers; when royal fathers lock horns in public, the moral fibre of the society they lead trembles.

History teaches us that when monarchs elevate their stools, their people rise with them. When they descend into the mud of ego battles, the people’s heritage suffers ridicule. The crown does not belong to a man; it belongs to the race he represents. The Ooni’s beaded crown and the Alaafin’s royal stool are not private property but sacred trusts passed from generation to generation. To trivialize them in the public square is to weaken the very foundation of Yoruba identity. To watch monarchs wash their royal linens in public is to cheapen the value of the stools their forebears protected with blood and sacrifice. As the proverb says, “Bi omode ba subu, a wo iwaju; bi agbalagba ba subu, a wo ehin” (when a child falls, he looks forward; when an elder falls, people look back to trace the cause).

The contention over titles may be legitimate within royal circles, but the manner in which such disagreements are ventilated should never erode the dignity of the thrones. The Yoruba society thrives on the belief that the king is the rallying point of cohesion. When kings disagree privately and resolve silently, the society moves on in harmony. But when kings take disputes to the marketplace or national dailies, they expose themselves to ridicule and diminish the respect the people instinctively owe them. “Oba tí kò lè so ilé rẹ̀ di mímọ́, báwo ló ṣe máa so ìlú di mímọ́?” (A king who cannot keep his household in order, how will he put his community in order?).

The point, therefore, is not to judge. It is to remind. The Yoruba monarch is not an ordinary mortal. He is the bridge between the seen and the unseen, the living and the ancestors, the deities and their people. If he falters in dignity, the people’s reverence falters too. This is why Yoruba monarchs must rise above mortal pettiness. They must embody the restraint of Orunmila, the wisdom of Oduduwa, and the dignity of their forebears who understood that true power is exercised in silence and majesty, not in public altercation. And as another Yoruba proverb warns, “Àgùntàn tó bá dá ilé olúwa rẹ̀ rú, kí lón jẹ́ pé ó máa fi ara ẹ̀ jẹun” (a sheep that destroys its master’s house will eventually feed on its own flesh).

The Yoruba nation watches. The world watches. And as history has always shown, the monarch who elevates his stool elevates his people.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria

Published

6 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.

He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.

“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.

He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.

“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.

“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.

DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

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IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police

Published

7 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.

Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.

Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.

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Court Orders SERAP To Pay DSS Operatives N100m For Defamation

Published

12 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has ordered a non-governmental organization, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, to pay N100 million as damaged to two operatives of the Department of the State Services, DSS, for unjustly defaming them in some publications.

The court also ordered SERAP to tender public apologies to the defamed officers,
Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele, in two national newspapers, two television stations and its website.

Besides, the organization was also ordered to pay the two operatives N1 million as cost of litigation and 10 percent post-judgment interest annually on the judgment sum until it’s fully liquidated.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory gave the order on Tuesday while delivering judgment in a N5.5 billion defamation suit instituted against SERAP by the DSS operatives.

The judge found SERAP liable for unjustly defaming the two DSS operatives with allegations that they unlawfully invaded its Abuja office, harassed and intimidated its staff, in September 2024.

In the offending publication on its website and Twitter handle, SERAP alleged that the two operatives unlawfully invaded and occupied its office with sinister motives.

The judge held that the publication was in bad taste especially from an organization established to promote transparency and accountability, as nothing in the publication was found to be truthful.

The DSS staff had listed SERAP as 1st defendant in the suit marked CV/4547/2024. SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, was listed as the 2nd defendant.

In the suit, the claimants – Sarah John and Gabriel Ogundele – accused the two defendants of making false claims that they invaded SERAP’s Abuja office on September 9, 2024..

Counsel to the DSS, Oluwagbemileke Samuel Kehinde, had while adopting his final address in the mater urged the judge to grant all the reliefs sought by his client in the interest of justice.

He admitted that although the names of the two claimants were not mentioned in the defamation materials, they had however established substantial circumstances that they are the ones referred to in the published defamation article by SERAP on its website.

The counsel submitted that all ingredients of defamation have been clearly established and the offending publication referred to the two officials of the secret police.

However, SERAP, through its counsel, Victoria Bassey from Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, law firm, asked the court to dismiss the suit on the ground that the two claimants did not establish that they were the ones referred to in the alleged defamation materials.

She said that SERAP used “DSS officials” in the alleged offending publication, adding that the two claimants must establish that they are the ones referred to before their case can succeed.

Similar arguments were canvassed by Oluwatosin Adefioye who stood for the second defendant, adding that there was no dispute in the September 9, 2024 operation of DSS in SERAP’s office.

He said that since SERAP in the publication did not name any particular person, the claimants must plead special circumstances that they were the ones referred to as the DSS officials.

Besides, he said that there is no organization by name Department of State Services in law, hence, DSS cannot claim being defamed adding that the only entity known to law is National Security Agency.

The claimants had in the suit stated that the alleged false claim by SERAP has negatively impacted on their reputation.

The DSS also stated, in the statement of claim, that, in line with the agency’s practice of engaging with officials of non-governmental organisations operating in the FCT to establish a relationship with their new leadership, it directed the two officials – John and Ogunleye – to visit SERAP’s office and invite them for a familiarization meeting.

The claimants added that in carrying out the directive, John and Ogunleye paid a friendly visit to SERAP’s office at 18 Bamako Street, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja on September 9 and met with one Ruth, who upon being informed about the purpose of the visit, claimed that none of SERAP’s management staff was in the country and advised that a formal letter of invitation be written by the DSS.

John and Ogundele, who claimed that their interactions with Ruth were recorded, said before they immediately exited SERAP’s office, Ruth promised to inform her organisation’s management about the visit and volunteered a phone number – 08160537202.

They said it was surprising that, shortly after their visit, SERAP posted on its X (Twitter) handle – @SERAPNigeria – that officers of the DSS are presently unlawfully occupying its office.

The claimant added, “On the same day, the defendants also published a statement on SERAP’s website, which was widely reported by several media outfits, falsely alleging that some officers from the DSS, described as “a tall, large, dark-skinned woman” and “a slim, dark skinned man,” invaded their Abuja office and interrogated the staff of the first defendant (SERAP).

John and Ogundele stated that “due to the false statements published by the defendants, the DSS has been ridiculed and criticised by international agencies such as the Amnesty International and prominent members of the Nigerian society, such as Femi Falana (SAN)”.

“Due to the false statements published by the defendants, members of the public and the international community formed the opinion that the Federal Government is using the DSS to harass the defendants.”

They added that the defendants’ statements caused harm to their reputation because the staff and management of the DSS have formed the opinion that the claimants did not follow orders and carried out an unsanctioned operation and are therefore, incompetent and unprofessional.

The claimants therefore prayed the court for the following reliefs: “An order directing the defendants to tender an apology to the claimants via the first defendant’s (SERAP’s) website, X (twitter) handle, two national daily newspapers (Punch and Vanguard) and two national news television stations (Arise Television and Channels Television) for falsely accusing the claimants of unlawfully invading the first defendant’s office and interrogating the first defendant’s staff.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N5 billion as damages for the libellous statements published about the claimants.

“Interest on the sum of N5b at the rate of 10 percent per annum from the date of judgment until the judgment sum is realised or liquidated.

“An order directing the defendants to pay the claimants the sum of N50 million as costs of this action.”