Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has questioned the notion of the Alaafin of Oyo’s supremacy over other Yoruba monarchs, saying the era when the Oyo throne exercised overarching authority has passed.
In a post on his X page on Saturday, Ajayi shared a photograph of the current Alaafin, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, arguing that the historical authority of the Oyo Empire should not be conflated with contemporary cultural or political influence.
“We are no longer in the era of the Oyo Empire,” he wrote.
“Rome and the United Kingdom, that once ruled more than half of the world as empires, can no longer claim sovereignty over former colonies. Times have changed. We are now in a new world.”
He stressed that Yorubaland was never entirely under the Alaafin’s control.
“Oyo Empire now belongs to history, and the whole of what we now know as Yorubaland was never under the rule of the Alaafin,” Ajayi said.
Ajayi further urged traditional rulers in the South-West to adopt a collaborative approach, noting that mutual respect among monarchs would better serve their communities in today’s society.
“The society will function well if the current natural rulers in Yorubaland understand their roles in modern society,” he wrote.
“Our kings should now work collaboratively to preserve peace, unity and development in their communities whilst preserving our cultural values.”
