The Olubadan-designate, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has said that recurring rivalries among Yoruba monarchs are largely the handiwork of their followers, not the royal fathers themselves.
Oba Ladoja stated this on Thursday at his Bodija residence in Ibadan while receiving the Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Alao, and his wife, who paid him a courtesy visit.
He dismissed the notion of a supremacy contest between the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, stressing that supporters often fuel discord by invoking contested historical narratives.
“I have always maintained that neither the Ooni nor the Alaafin is the cause of disunity. Their supporters, in trying to defend different historical accounts, end up creating unnecessary conflict. They forget that history can be subjective,” Oba Ladoja said.
He urged Yoruba people to put aside divisive historical debates and focus instead on peace, unity, and collective progress.
“The Alaafin cannot leave Oyo to rule in Ile-Ife, just as the Ooni cannot leave Ile-Ife to rule in Oyo. Every monarch has his domain,” he added.
Using an international analogy, the Olubadan-designate compared the situation to Britain’s colonial ties with America.
“The history their supporters refer to is like Britain colonising America, it belongs to the past. Today, if America sneezes, Britain catches a cold,” he said.
Reflecting on Ibadan’s historical influence, Oba Ladoja remarked: “Without Ibadan’s role, many Yoruba monarchs might have ended up with titles such as ‘Emir’. Our priority now should be modernising Ibadanland and building on the legacy of the Ibadan Empire, not merely preserving history.”
In his remarks, Oba Francis Alao congratulated Oba Ladoja on his emergence as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, describing it as a remarkable milestone for Ibadan, Oyo State, and Nigeria as a whole.
