The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, on Sunday, December 7, 2025, extended a warm congratulatory message to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on the occasion of his tenth coronation anniversary.
The congratulatory statement was issued by the Alaafin's palace through his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye. Oba Owoade, speaking on behalf of the Oyo Kingdom and other traditional rulers, praised the Ooni for his decade of dedicated service to his people and the Yoruba nation.
The Alaafin specifically commended Oba Ogunwusi for his "sense of commitment and resilience in ruling over his people," noting that the Ooni’s extensive "exposure, knowledge, and charisma" prior to his ascension have significantly expanded the influence of the Ife domain.
“If gratitude is the great opener of the heart, then Ooni of Ife’s heart should be busted wide open to the sweetness of this moment,” Mr. Durojaiye said, relaying the Alaafin's sentiments.
He added that the Alaafin expressed confidence that the Ooni’s "wisdom, warmth, and friendliness" would continue to foster peace and civility within his domain and the wider community.
Alaafin’s message was not limited to felicitation but also served as an explicit roadmap for monarchical responsibility. Oba Owoade, according to his palace, insisted that the primary mandate of traditional rulers is clear and non-negotiable, stating that they are "saddled with maintenance of peace, culture and tradition."
“Kings are not religious leaders,” the Alaafin reportedly stressed. “Our responsibility, as handed over to us in our certificates, is to be custodians of the legacies of our ancestors, so that they do not go extinct."
He further elaborated that unity must be "predicated on mutual trust and understanding, reciprocal friendly/brotherly/sisterly relations, as well as shared interests, values and aspirations."
Alaafin called on his peers to actively foster unity through "tolerance and accommodation of each other’s differences, opinions, ethnic, religious and communal or even regional identities," a principle he noted was foundational to Nigeria’s federal system.
