(1). Introduction
The age-long rivalry between the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo is not a recent phenomenon. It traces back to the earliest struggles for succession in Ile-Ife, when Oduduwa’s direct descendants were locked in contest with the Obatala–Obalufon faction. At the center of this debate lies a critical question: Who is the true heir of Oduduwa — the Ooni or the Alaafin?
(2). Oduduwa’s Reign and the First Conflicts
Rev. Samuel Johnson, in The History of the Yorubas (1921), records that Oduduwa’s reign in Ife was brief but marked by turbulence. After his death, disputes erupted between his camp and that of Obatala, leading to the rise of Obalufon Ogbogbodirin.
Oduduwa’s son Oogun (also known as Okanbi) briefly sat on the Olufe stool, but hostile forces soon displaced him. Prof. Ade Obayemi (1979) notes that this early period was characterized by “persistent rivalries between competing lineages in Ife, each claiming primacy.”
This conflict forced many of Oduduwa’s children and grandchildren into exile — not by choice, but because of overwhelming opposition within Ife.
(3). Oranmiyan: Warrior Prince and Builder of Oyo
According to Akintoye (A History of the Yoruba People, 2010), Oranmiyan, Oduduwa’s grandson, departed Ife and became ruler in Benin before establishing Oyo as a powerful military base.
While Oranmiyan was absent, Obalufon Alayemore, son of Obalufon Ogbogbodirin, was crowned Olufe. But when Oranmiyan returned with a strong army, Alayemore fled. Johnson corroborates this, describing how “the fame of Oranmiyan’s exploits struck fear into the Obalufon camp, leading to his temporary withdrawal from the stool.”
(4). The Rise of Obalufon’s Dynasty
After Oranmiyan’s death — attributed by oral tradition to the same hostile pressures that ended the reigns of Oduduwa and Oogun — the Obalufon line firmly reclaimed Ife.
Obalufon Alayemore returned to the stool.
His son, Ayetise, succeeded him.
From Ayetise came Lajamisan, who fathered Lajodogun.
Lajodogun’s descendants became the four ruling houses of Ife recognized in the 1957 Ife Chieftaincy Declaration: Giesi, Ogboru, Lafogido, and Osinkola (Adediran, 1992).
Thus, every Ooni after Lajamisan traces descent not to Oduduwa’s direct male line, but to Obalufon’s dynasty.
(5). The Systematic Exclusion of Oduduwa’s Direct Line
Here lies the contradiction:
In Yoruba culture, male children are usually heirs to the throne (Johnson, 1921).
Yet, after Oranmiyan, none of his direct sons were permitted to be Ooni.
Instead, through the union of Oranmiyan’s daughter and Ayetise’s son, Lajamisan was born. From him sprang the modern Ooni dynasty.
While some historians argue that Ife accepted succession through princesses (Omo Obinrin ti n’ile), Akintoye observes that this was unusual: “In most Yoruba kingdoms, the children of princesses rarely became kings, as the ruling line was expected to descend from the male line” (Akintoye, 2010).
Why then was this exception made in Ife? The answer points back to the dominance of the Obalufon faction, which effectively blocked Oduduwa’s direct male descendants from ever returning to the throne of Ife.
(6). Alaafin vs. Ooni: Who Is the True Arole Oodua?
The Alaafin is a direct descendant of Oranmiyan, son of Oogun, son of Oduduwa. This is the purest male line of succession from the founder of the Yoruba race.
The Ooni, however, descends from Obalufon Alayemore, once Oduduwa’s fiercest rival. His dynasty only secured rulership after Oranmiyan’s death.
Therefore, the Alaafin carries the blood claim to Oduduwa’s throne, while the Ooni’s role as “Arole Oodua” (custodian of Oduduwa’s heritage) appears to be a later invention — one that masks the reality of historical exclusion.
(7). The Age-Long Rivalry
The rivalry is not a modern quarrel between the Ooni and the Alaafin; it is an ancestral struggle:
Oduduwa vs. Obatala
Oogun vs. Obalufon Ogbogbodirin
Oranmiyan vs. Obalufon Alayemore
Alaafin vs. Ooni (today)
It is a rivalry over legitimacy, heritage, and rightful ownership of the Oduduwa dynasty.
(8). Conclusion:
When we examine the historical succession of Ife, we find that the Ooni today stands on the lineage of Obalufon Alayemore, not Oduduwa. The Alaafin, meanwhile, remains the direct heir of Oranmiyan, Oduduwa’s warrior grandson.
Thus, if legitimacy is measured by direct male descent from Oduduwa, then the Alaafin is the true “Arole Oodua.” The Ooni’s claim, while sanctified by centuries of tradition and spiritual primacy, is the product of a much older rivalry that displaced Oduduwa’s own dynasty.
📚 Key References:
Johnson, S. (1921). The History of the Yorubas. London: Routledge.
Akintoye, S. A. (2010). A History of the Yoruba People. Dakar: Amalion.
Obayemi, A. (1979). “Ife: The Genesis of a Yoruba State.” Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria.
Adediran, B. (1992). The Kingdom of Ife: A Historical and Cultural Study. Ibadan University Press.
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