No Feud Between Alaafin and Ooni – Palace Clarifies Missed Visit

The palace of the Alaafin of Oyo has refuted speculations of a rift with the Ooni of Ife, stating that the missed visit to the Ooni’s palace was due to scheduling conflicts and not any form of animosity.

A close palace aide, Prince Oladele Owoade, explained that the Alaafin remains committed to fostering peace and unity among Yoruba monarchs. He revealed that arrangements are already in place for an appreciation visit to both the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

“There’s absolutely no quarrel between the Alaafin and the Ooni,” Oladele stated. “His Majesty holds the Yoruba heritage in high esteem and has no interest in personal disputes. Our decision not to visit previously was simply due to information from Ooni’s palace that Baba (the Ooni) was not available at the time. We plan to pay a formal appreciation visit to him and to Governor Adeleke very soon.”

Supporting this, the Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyelude, confirmed that Alaafin had indeed intended to see the Ooni before visiting the Oluwo of Iwo.

However, in response, the Ooni’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, maintained that no formal notice or communication was received from the Alaafin’s camp about the proposed visit.

“To be clear, there was no official letter or call to the palace indicating that the Alaafin was coming,” Olafare noted. “What we heard came informally from one of our security personnel who said someone from the Alaafin’s palace made an inquiry about the Ooni’s availability. But by then, the Ooni was already out of the country.”

Both sides, however, have downplayed any notion of conflict, reinforcing that their shared priority is the unity and cultural advancement of the Yoruba people.