Former Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties to the late Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, Doyin Odebowale, has openly criticized the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, over his demand that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, revoke a chieftaincy title recently conferred on an Ibadan businessman.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief program, Odebowale insisted that the Alaafin must have been misled into believing there was a jurisdictional clash between his office and that of the Ooni.
According to him, traditional rulers only have influence within their local government areas and are not constitutionally superior to elected officials. He described the call for intervention from Oyo to Ile-Ife as a “misnomer” and a needless distraction.
Odebowale further attributed the frequent clashes among traditional rulers to what he called “permissive decadence” in the system. He noted that many monarchs no longer fully understand their roles, often abandoning cultural values while seeking modern titles and recognition.
He also recalled that the British colonial administration had historically reduced powerful empires into smaller stools, introducing chieftaincy laws that weakened the traditional institutions.
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