Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, sparked controversy after declaring that the era of imperial dominance once associated with the old Oyo Empire had come to an end, insisting that no traditional ruler in Yorubaland holds supremacy over others.
Ajayi made the remarks in a post on X, sharing a photograph of the current Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, as he challenged notions of hierarchical superiority among Yoruba monarchs.
“We are no longer in the era of the Oyo Empire,” Ajayi 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.”
The presidential aide argued that the historical Oyo Empire should not be conflated with present-day political or cultural authority, stressing that Yorubaland was never wholly governed by the Alaafin.
“Oyo Empire now belongs to history and the whole of what we now know as Yorubaland was never under the rule of the Alaafin,” he said.
Ajayi urged monarchs across the South-West to embrace collaborative leadership in line with modern realities, suggesting that mutual respect among traditional rulers would benefit their communities and institutions.
“The society will function well if the current natural rulers in Yorubaland understand their roles in modern society,” he stated. “Our kings should now work collaboratively to preserve peace, unity and development in their communities whilst preserving our cultural values.”
The statement has since drawn mixed reactions online amid ongoing debates over hierarchy, influence and legitimacy within Yoruba traditional structures.
While some cultural historians continue to regard the Alaafin’s throne as historically paramount in Yoruba civilization, others contest any claim of overarching authority across the array of kingdoms that make up the Yoruba race, arguing instead for the primacy of Ile-Ife and the spiritual authority of the Ooni of Ife.
