Princes from three royal families in Iwo, Osun State, have urged Governor Ademola Adeleke and the state Traditional Council to introduce regulations guiding monarchs’ use of social media, warning that unrestrained online outbursts among traditional rulers could fuel disunity in Yorubaland.
The appeal followed the latest supremacy battle between the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, and the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, over who holds the fourth position in Osun’s traditional hierarchy.
Speaking at a press conference in Iwo on Wednesday, spokesperson for the royal families, Prince Adedoja Osunwo, said the rift, which played out on social media platforms, would have been averted if internal mechanisms for conflict resolution among monarchs were effective.
“The records are clear. It has long been gazetted that the Oluwo of Iwo occupies the fourth position in Osun State’s hierarchy of traditional rulers. What we are witnessing today on social media between Oluwo and Ataoja is unnecessary and capable of weakening Yoruba unity,” Osunwo said.
He emphasised that monarchs should not be locked in social media battles over historical matters, stressing that such public spats diminish the dignity of royal stools.
Osunwo commended Governor Adeleke and the Iwo Board of Trustees for efforts to calm tensions but urged the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, in his role as head of the state’s traditional council, to establish firmer mechanisms for resolving disputes.
The princes also insisted that the throne of Oluwo traces directly to Ile-Ife and has never been relegated to the position of a community chief, rejecting what they described as distortions of historical facts.
Meanwhile, the Ataoja had, during a lecture at Osun State University marking his 15th coronation anniversary, argued that his stool historically occupied the fourth position until, according to him, it was wrongly ceded to the Oluwo during the reign of his predecessor.
In response, the Oluwo, through his Chief Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, dismissed Ataoja’s claims, accusing him of attempting to rewrite history and urging him to consult respected elders of Osogbo for accurate accounts.
