……Scholars Clash Over Ancient Kingdoms’ Records as Traditional and Modern Politics Collide
by
Engr. Prince Afolabi Aderemi Paul of Tella Gbaagi Olufunu Agunloye Royal Family
Being a descendant of warrior kings like Alaafin Oranmiyan, Alaafin Ajaka, Alaafin Atiba, and a direct descendant of Alaafin Olujide Adelu (Agunloye bi Oyinbo), I am obliged to speak openly with clean hands. My name is Engr. Prince Afolabi Aderemi Paul from Tella Gbaagi Olufunu Agunloye Royal Family.
As a young prince, I grew up within the precincts of the Oyo royal courtyard, where abundant documents including copies of treaties, government gazettes, and diplomatic letters were readily available to me. Driven by curiosity, I documented the past, anticipating what the future held for the institution my forebears held in such high esteem. This, among other reasons, makes my voice relevant on the issue of paramountcy and supremacy among Yoruba monarchs, which has recently been a subject of intense historical and political discourse. While the Ooni of Ife enjoys contemporary prominence through social media hype, verifiable records from colonial archives, treaties, and authoritative historians overwhelmingly affirm the Alaafin of Oyo as the preeminent traditional ruler in Yorubaland.
In this investigative report, I present ten (10) irrefutable pieces of evidence supporting the Alaafin’s supremacy.
1). Lord Frederick Lugard’s Official Recognition or the Colonial Recognition of Sovereignty, known as the Political Memoranda (1917): Sir
Frederick Lugard, Nigeria’s first Governor-General, explicitly listed the Alaafin as “Head of Yoruba Kings” (Paragraph 26, Page 307). As the architect of British indirect rule who witnessed pre-colonial administration firsthand, Lugard’s documentation carries exceptional weight.
This classification came from Britain’s most experienced colonial administrator after years of ethnographic study. “Lugard’s meticulous records represent the gold standard of colonial ethnography. His designation of Alaafin as paramount wasn’t casual but based on exhaustive research,” notes Prof. Toyin Falola of the University of Texas at Austin. “Lugard’s records represent the most authoritative colonial account of traditional hierarchies. His recognition of Alaafin’s supremacy wasn’t accidental but based on empirical observations,” says Prof. Banji Akintoye, historian and author of A History of the Yoruba People.
Documentary Reference and Archives
Lugard, Frederick. (1917). Political Memoranda: Revision of Instructions to Political Officers on Subjects Chiefly Political and Administrative. (Paragraph 26, p. 307), National Archives, UK (CO 446/1-100).
– Digitized copies in “Lugard and the Amalgamation of Nigeria: A Documentary Record” (1968, Cass Library of African Studies).
– Falola, Toyin. (2001).”The History of Nigeria.” Greenwood Press. (Discusses colonial hierarchies in Yorubaland).
– Akintoye, S. Banji. (2010). “A History of the Yoruba People.” Amalion Publishing.
– Akintoye, S. Banji. (1971). “Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland, 1840-1893.” Longman. (Examines pre-colonial Yoruba political structures).
– Intelligence Reports on Yoruba Kingdoms” (1913-1934).
– “The Yoruba Country, 1893-1960: A Documentary History” (ed. J.A. Atanda, 1985).
– Atanda, J.A. (1973). “The New Oyo Empire: Indirect Rule and Change in Western Nigeria, 1894-1934.”* Longman.
- Treaty Diplomacy with Alaafin as the Sole Signatory: The Alaafin’s unique role as sole signatory to British treaties demonstrates recognized sovereignty. Between 1881-1893, the Alaafin exclusively signed all British-Yoruba treaties:
– 1881 Treaty: Signed as “Alaafin Adeyemi I, King of Yoruba Land” with the Queen of England and Ireland
– 1888 Treaty: With Governor Gilbert Thomas Carter
– 1893 Treaty: Cementing British-Yoruba relations and finalizing two imperial relations.
The 1897 Colonial Intelligence Report a recently declassified documents from the British Foreign Office (FO 403/246) reveal: “The Alaafin remains the supreme political authority over all Yoruba kingdoms, with the Ooni serving primarily spiritual functions.” -Captain R.L. Bower, 1897.
Documentary Participation and Archival Evidence:
-Rev. Samuel Johnson’s History of the Yorubas (1921) – National Archives documents confirm these treaties bore only the Alaafin’s seal, with no Ooni
– The National Archives at Ibadan preserves original treaty documents bearing only the Alaafin’s seal.
- Colonial Salary Structure (1938)
A confidential colonial memo (File No 33044, CSO 26) reveals: In 1938, colonial Nigeria implemented a salary structure for chiefs, particularly in the Southern Provinces. First-class chiefs like the Alaafin of Oyo received annual salaries of £4,200, while Second-class chiefs like the
Olubadan of Ibadan earned £2,400. This system aimed to integrate traditional rulers into the colonial administration.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the 1938 salary structure for chiefs in the Southern Provinces:
First-Class Chiefs:
Alaafin of Oyo: £4,200 (Highest among 1st class chiefs)
Alake of Abeokuta: £2,250
Awujale of Ijebu Ode: £1,700
Oba of Benin: £1,650
Ooni of Ife: £1,440 (Lowest among 1st class chiefs )
Second-Class Chiefs:
Olubadan of Ibadan: £2,400
Owa of Ilesha: £1,450
Oshimawe of Ondo: £350
Orangun of Ila: £200
“This salary disparity wasn’t arbitrary but reflected the British recognition of the Alaafin’s administrative superiority,” notes archival researcher Chief Tunde Ogunmola. Dr. Oluwatoyin Oduntan (Towson University): “Colonial salary records don’t lie. The Alaafin’s compensation package was comparable to that of notable Northern emirs while the Ooni’s was equivalent to district heads.”
Documentary Evidence
Confidential colonial memo (File No 33044, CSO 26)
- The 1991 Akinrogun of Yorubaland Title Controversy:
In March 1991, Ooni Olubuse II attempted to install Chief Tom Ikimi (later Nigeria’s Foreign Minister) as “Akinrogun of Yorubaland” which sparked a constitutional crisis in Yoruba traditional governance. The intervention by Oyo State Military Governor Colonel Adisa AbdulKareem remains one of the clearest modern affirmations of Alaafin’s supremacy. Alaafin’s Protest Letter (March 4, 1991) Reference No:
OYSHM/AA/Vol.II/91, “By ancient custom and colonial recognition, the prerogative of conferring titles transcending regional boundaries rests solely with the Alaafin as prescribed in the 1937 Native Authority Ordinance and reaffirmed in the 1954 Western Region Chieftaincy
Declaration.” The Government White Paper replied Alaafin of Oyo (March 7, 1991) File No: OY/S/104/Vol.XI. “Having reviewed historical precedents and legal authorities, the Government affirms the principle of Nemo dat quod non habet (you cannot give what you do not have).
The Akinrogun title being of pan-Yoruba significance, its conferment falls exclusively within the Alaafin’s traditional jurisdiction as recognized
by:
- a) The 1888 Treaty of Protection; b) 1937 Intelligence Reports on Yoruba Traditional Institutions, and c) 1954 Chieftaincy Review
Commission Findings”. The Legal Foundations is applied from English common law through Section 14(1) of the 1957 Chiefs Law Precedent
Cases. The Olojo of Ojo v. Ooni (1929) – Established hierarchy of title conferment and the Western Region Gazette No 28 of 1958 – Defined
“Yorubaland-wide” titles. Prof. Jide Osuntokun (Historian, Bells University): later said that, “The 1991 ruling wasn’t merely about one title. It reaffirmed the constitutional architecture of Yoruba traditional governance as documented in: 1. Margery Perham’s Native Administration in Nigeria (1937). 2. The Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria, Vol. XII (1984) which details Oyo’s metropolitan authority.” Chief AfeBabalola (SAN) said, “This case became a reference point in traditional law.
The government’s decision aligned with:
– Justice Adewale Thompson’s 1978 ruling on chieftaincy jurisdictions
– The 1963 Commission of Inquiry into Yoruba Traditional Institutions”. The current Implications is that the precedent remains legally binding, confirmed by: 2014 Supreme Court Judgment (SC/104/2008) on chieftaincy jurisdictions and the Lagos State White Paper on Chieftaincy Matters (2019) which cites the 1991 case. Now, the Alaafin appoints whoever he so desire with Yoruba titles, Chief Dr Babsjide Agunbiade as
The Atobase of Yorubaland, Chief Abeeb Okunola as Akosin of Yorubaland, Chief Tomori Williams as Aare Onikoyi of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Ige Adam’s as Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Shina Pella as Ayedero of Yorubaland, Chief Wasiu Ayinde Omogbolahan as Mayegun of Yorubaland, among others.
Archival Access:
The complete case files are available for research at:
- Oyo State Archives (Series OYSHM 1991/Vol.III)
- National Council of Traditional Rulers Secretariat (File NCTR/YOR/1991/001). This episode stands as perhaps the most definitive modern confirmation of Alaafin’s unique position in Yoruba traditional governance, with its foundations in:
- Pre-colonial imperial structures
2.Colonial-era documentation
- Post-independence legal frameworks
- Council of Obas Leadership (1960-1976) Historical records amd Documented Leadership Structure:
– 1960-1965: Alaafin Siyanbola Ladigbolu II served as Chairman of the Western State Council of Obas, with Ooni Aderemi attending as a member (Western Region Gazette No. 42 of 1960)
– 1976: Military administration reinstated Alaafin as Chairman after Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo political restructuring (Oyo State Government White Paper on Chieftaincy Matters, 1976). Many scholars are of the opinion that the political interventions of Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo is the main architect of the ongoing supremacy row between the Alaafin and Ooni. Adejare Ibrahim’s “Supremacy of Alaafin (2025, p. 112-115) confirms. The Ooni participated without protest in meetings chaired by Alaafin during this period. Challenges to this hierarchy only emerged after political interventions by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the 1950s.
Key Sources:
– Official minutes of Council meetings (1960-1965) held at:- National Archives, Ibadan (Ref: NAI OYO PROF 1/5/125
– History of Yoruba Traditional Rulers by J.A. Atanda (1980), pp. 203-207
– Military Government circulars of 1976 (Ref: OYSHM/GOV/1/Vol.IX)6.
- British Royal Recognition of Alaafin’s Supremacy:
Queen Elizabeth II in her 1953 birthday message to Alaafin Siyanbola Ladigbolu I addressed him as “Alaafin of Oyo, King and Head of Yoruba Land” (British National Archives Ref: DO 35/3181). No equivalent title was ever used in royal correspondence with the Ooni during the colonial period (1914-1960). Colonial Office Records on Yoruba Traditional Institutions (CO 583/189-192) shows this formulation was consistently used in:
– Royal letters (1925-1959)
– Birthday/Coronation messages
– Official proclamations
These consistent pattern of royal address provides definitive evidence of how British authorities recognized and institutionalized the Alaafin’s superior status in Yoruba traditional hierarchy. Professor David Pratten (Oxford) notes in The Man-Leopard Murders (2007, p. 89): “The British Crown’s recognition of Alaafin as ‘Head of Yoruba Land’ reflected decades of colonial administrative practice and treaty relationships. Ooni was addressed simply as “Ooni of Ife” in all colonial-era documents according to 1937 Native Authority records (NAI Ibadan Prof 3/5/8) and 1954 Western Region Chieftaincy Review documents
Key Reference Works:
– British Imperialism in Nigeria by Michael Crowder (1978), pp. 134-137
– The Yoruba Under British Rule by J.F. Ade Ajayi (1965), Chapter 4
– Royal Archives, Windsor Castle (RA/PPTO/YOR/1-15) for original correspondence
.7. Military Dominance of the Oyo:
The Oyo Empire maintained a standing army under the Basorun, Leader of all Yoruba warlords and the Are-Ona-Kakanfo (Field Marshal), while Ife lacked permanent military forces (The Military System of the Old Oyo Empire by Robin Law, 1975, p.45). The 1903 Crisis Evidence: Official Gazette No.9 (1903) records: – Ooni Olubuse I formally requested British military assistance after Modakeke’s attack on Ife. Later, Alaafin Adeyemi I successfully negotiated the release of 12,070 Ife war captives from Ibadan. Colonial Office correspondence (CO 147/169) details: Ooni’s petition to Governor William MacGregor (March 1903) and Alaafin’s diplomatic intervention (April 1903). The Intelligence Report on the Yoruba Provinces (1904) confirms Oyo’s military hegemony. Professor Toyin Falola notes in Yoruba Warfare in the 19th Century (1984), “The 1903 crisis starkly revealed the military dependency of Ife on Oyo’s political and military structures, a pattern established a few centuries back. The Oyo’s military capacity included: Cavalry units (documented in Clapperton’s 1826 journals and a specialized infantry (Johnson’s History of the Yorubas, 1921, p.187) while Ife relied on temporary militia and external alliances. The 1921 Native Authority Ordinance: The National Archives (NAI, Ibadan Prof 3/3) preserves records showing only the Alaafin was granted “Grade A” status among Yoruba rulers, with authority over: Judicial appeals, inter-kingdom disputes and military mobilization. There were 182 Chiefs under the Are-Ona-Kakanfo’s command alone.
Key References:
– Gazetteer of Yoruba Territories (1905) Colonial Office publication
– Warfare and Diplomacy in Yorubaland by S.A. Akintoye (1971)
– National Archives Ibadan: Oyo Division Reports (1902-1905)
- Summary of Oduduwa’s Succession Legacy
Historical and scholarly evidence highlights key aspects of Oduduwa’s succession and the political-religious divide in Yorubaland: Oduduwa passed political authority to his grandson Oranmiyan, who became the first Alaafin of Oyo, marking the continuation of Oduduwa’s political lineage. Ooni of Ife’s role, a priest-regent (Adimula Olorisa), not a direct blood descendant, explaining why the Alaafin does not prostrate to the Ooni because the Alaafin represents Oduduwa’s political lineage, while the Ooni holds ritual authority.
Archaeological Evidence of Prof.Akin Ogundiran’s research at Old Oyo confirms the Alaafin’s palace as the political and administrative hub of Yorubaland, contrasting with Ife’s primarily ritual and sacred spaces (Ogundiran, Northwestern University). Oduduwa’s transfer of authority is preserved in both Oyo and Benin oral traditions. The Odu Ifa Ogbe Yonu confirms Oranmiyan’s mandate. Benin’s Erediauwa Chronicles trace descent to Oranmiyan. Ife’s own Itan Ife acknowledges the priestly origin of early Oonis.
References:
– Abimbola, W. (n.d.). Ifa Scholar Commentary on Oduduwa’s Succession
– Ogundiran, A. (Recent). Archaeological Findings at Old Oyo Empire. Northwestern University.
- The Benin Connection
Oba Ewuare II’s 2016 statement settled the controversy:
“All Obas of Benin descend from Oranmiyan (first Alaafin).” This refuted Ooni Sijuwade’s claim of paternity over Benin monarchy.
- Summary of Provincial Administration in Yorubaland (1914 Amalgamation – 1960s)
Following the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria, British colonial authorities restructured Yorubaland’s governance, reinforcing the Alaafin of Oyoas the paramount ruler, while the Ooni of Ife and Olubadan of Ibadan were designated as District Heads under his authority in Oyo Province. The Alaafin presided over the Provincial Court of Appeal while the Ooni, Olubadan, and other chiefs handled district-level courts. The Alaafin served as final appellate authority. All district rulers (including Ooni) reported through provincial channels making the Alaafin adjudicate inter-kingdom disputes. The British leveraged the pre-existing Oyo Empire’s political framework centralizing power under the Alaafin for administrative efficiency.
References:
-Atanda, J. A. (1973). The New Oyo Empire: Indirect Rule and Change in Western Nigeria, 1894-1934 London: Longman.
– Johnson, S. (1921). The History of the Yorubas. Lagos: CMS Press.
-British Colonial Records (1914-1960) Nigeria: Reports on Provincial and Native Administration.
This system persisted until the 1950s-60s, when regional reorganizations and post-independence political changes diminished the Alaafin’s centralized authority, elevating the many Oba’s, the Ooni and Olubadan to more autonomous statuses. This became very prominent in the 1990’s after the creation of Osun State from Oyo State. Why The Controversy again? E gbe Ade fun Alade. It is known to many historians that Alaafin Oranmiyan went with his father’s crown (Oduduwa) to Oyo and founded a new kingdom which later became an irrefutable empire on the African continent with some of its greatest kings as Alaafin. Historians attribute the modern debate to Awolowo’s Politics or political engineering after the confrontation that happened on November 22nd 1953 between Chief Bode Thomas and Alaafin Adeyemi II who was allegedly said to be sympathizing with opposition NCNC, after he came in conflict with Chief Bode Thomas who was Deputy Leader of the Action Group. The mid-1950s saw the Ooni politically elevated after Alaafin Adeyemi II’s deposition and his subsequent death in 1960.
This elevation became more visible with Ooni Adesoji Aderemi’s prominent position in party politics when he later became the Governor of Western region. The Alaafin’s supremacy was reversed in the 1970’s subsequently. It could also be that contemporary press and social media platforms often prioritizes Ile-Ife’s spiritual significance over Oyo’s historical political dominance.
As the late Alaafin Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III stated in his 2016 interview: “History cannot be rewritten to suit temporary conveniences. The records are clear for impartial minds.” He later said “We must distinguish between temporary political arrangements and enduring historical truths.”
SOURCES:
- National Archives, Enugu
- Political Memoranda by Lord Lugard (1917)
- History of the Yorubas by Rev. Samuel Johnson
- Oyo Legacies (Alaafin Adeyemi III’s Memoirs)
- British Colonial Correspondence (1881-1938)
In Conclusion,
The historical, colonial, and legal records presented in this discourse leave no room for ambiguity: the Alaafin of Oyo remains the preeminenttraditional ruler in Yorubaland by virtue of documented treaties, British imperial recognition, military precedence, and constitutional affirmations. While contemporary narratives may attempt to distort this reality for political or social expediency, facts are sacred, and history is immutable. The historical significance of the Benin and Oyo Empires, founded by Prince Oranmiyan which is Nigeria’s only true pre-colonial empires remains undeniable. Yet, their modern-day monarchs often face disproportionate scrutiny and resentment.
The Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I had a splendid coronation on 5th April 2025 which short down the global mass media space, then issue of supremacy and propaganda of different sorts followed by enemies and antagonists. Anyway, this phenomenon is not coincidental but rooted in a recurring historical pattern: true greatness often attracts envy.
The Oba of Benin and the Alaafin of Oyo are not disliked for their present roles but because of what their ancestors starting with Prince Oranmiyan represented: empire builders, formidable rulers, and architects of enduring legacies. Unlike those who inherited power passively, our forebears expanded territories, commanded vast armies, established governance systems, and shaped civilizations in Africa.
Resentment toward these thrones stems from an uncomfortable truth: our historical dominance still overshadows revisionist narratives. True leadership inspires admiration but also provokes resistance from those whose histories pale in comparison. Oyo is great! Greatness is not hated for being irrelevant. It is resented because its echo still resonates louder than the whispers of those who wish to rewrite history.
Alaafinko se ri fin o.
Engr. Prince Afolabi Aderemi Paul
Tella Gbaagi Olufunu Agunloye Royal Family
Oyo Kingdom
