A body of leaders of Iwo has sided with the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, in his superiority rift with the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji.
They faulted the remarks credited to Oba Oyetunji on the ranking of first-class traditional rulers in Osun State, describing them as provocative, baseless, and an attempt to distort history.
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In a video posted on Facebook, the Ataoja said he should be ranked fourth among Osun kings, ahead of the Oluwo who he argued ought to be in fifth position.
The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, swiftly responded to Ataoja”s claim through his spokesperson, Alli Ibraheem.
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In the statement, the Oluwo dismissed the claim, describing his throne as a “natural, paramount ruler” in Yorubaland, with its crown tracing directly to Oduduwa.
He added that the clarification was necessary to protect the ancient stool of the Oluwo and to prevent distortions of Yoruba history.
In the latest criticism to the Ataoja’s claim, the Iwo Board of Trustees (IBOT), in a statement by its president, Lai Olurode, and its secretary general, Jire Ayinla, the group said the claim by the Ataoja’ “has no grounding in Yoruba history or archival records.”
The group said the Ataoja’s crown is of recent origin, created in 1976 by a military decree under then-Governor David Jemibewon. They explained that the Oluwo’s beaded crown, by contrast, is pristine, ageless, and rooted in authentic Yoruba tradition.
“The Ataoja neither adduced evidence from recent Yoruba history nor did he mobilise unassailable archival record in support of his blatant and unfair statement.
While acknowledging Osogbo’s political prominence as the state capital since 1991, the Iwo elders maintained that political elevation cannot alter historical seniority.
“No doubt, Osogbo has produced great men and women who occupy strategic positions in diverse spheres of human endeavour within and outside Nigeria. We also respect the Royal Office of Ataoja.
“Iwo and Osogbo have historical links. The two towns enjoy immense sociopolitical and economic links which continue to blossom. But without prejudice to deference to these facts, the truth must not be taken to the slaughter’s slab,” the statement read.
The group urged the Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, to call the Ataoja to order, warning that such comments could disrupt the relative peace among Osun’s traditional rulers.
“The governor has enough governance challenges and must not be distracted by deliberately provocative statements. The Ataoja should be directed to recant and apologise to the Oluwo and the Osun State Council of Obas,” the group said.
It concluded by asking the state government to resist and punish “historical falsification and political manipulation.”
“The Government of Osun State also needs to clarify its position on the ranking of Obas in Osun state. No matter how highly placed an individual might be, historical falsification must not be allowed to stand and whoever is found wanting deserves to be sanctioned as an agent provocateur.”
What the Ataoja said
A quiet anniversary lecture in Osogbo quickly triggered a row after the Ataoja of Osogbo, restated his conviction that his throne should be placed above that of the Oluwo of Iwo in the hierarchy of Osun kings.
The Ataoja, who recently marked his 15th coronation anniversary, claimed his stool was traditionally ranked fourth among first-class monarchs in Osun State before being displaced in the order of precedence.
He traced the shift to the tenure of his predecessor, Oba Iyiola Matanmi III, claiming that while the late monarch was away from the country, the Oluwo of Iwo sat on a chair belonging to the Ataoja.
The Ataoja said his remarks were not directed at belittling the Oluwo or any other royal father. Instead, he described his effort as part of a duty to correct distortion and safeguard historical accuracy.
After years of restraint, the traditional ruler said he could no longer remain silent on the matter.
“My father, Oba Iyiola, Matanmi III, travelled abroad and before he returned, his chair was shifted and the Oluwo was placed there. That was how Oluwo became the fourth in ranking. Ataoja owns the fourth position which was what I met.
“Since then, I have been silent on the matter … I am taking steps underground, but there is no way we will cook inside, and the flame will not show outside.
“I am not fighting with any king, but the seat of Ataoja is the fourth in ranking in Osun State,” he told the gathering.
He also challenged the claim that the Oluwo was superior to the Ataoja in terms of the age of their crowns.
Although, the video clip ended before he concluded his remarks, he was heard saying that the first Ataoja, Laaroye I, had a crown.
“They would say one king was crowned before another. But Gbadewolu, Larooye I, it was crown he brought from Igbo Opo Ile ….,” he said before the video ended abruptly.
What’s the true ranking?
Since the Ataoja’s controversial comment ignited the superiority row, many have argued and shared materials online to support the claims of their favourites between the two kings, further deepening the controversy.
For instance, Oluwo’s camp has shared an old video of former Alaafin of Oyo, the late Lamidi Adeyemi, weighing in on the matter during his lifetime.
The late Alaafin was heard in the video saying the Ataoja was not originally a crowned king but a Baale (a traditional ruler without a crown) compared with the Oluwo, who had always been a crowned king from time. He also said Iwo was so high in hierarchy that it should have been the state capital, not Osogbo, when Osun State was created.
Those supporting the Ataoja have also shared online what seems to be an extract of the Osun State Council of Obas and Chiefs Edict 1999 which lists traditional rulers in the state, designating the Ooni of Ife as the permanent chairperson, and listing the Ataoja as number four and the Oluwo as number five.
Both sides of the divide have also tried to discredit each other’s “evidence”.
As the controversy rages, many have called on the state government to clarify the ranking of the kings.
A check on the state government’s website shows only a list of foremost traditional rulers in the state without any reference to seniority or ranking among them.
“Foremost traditional rulers in the state includes the Ooni of Ife, The Ataoja of Osogbo, The Owa Obokun of Ijesa Land, The Timi of Ede, Oluwo of Iwo, Akinrun of Ikirun, and a host of other traditional rulers,” the website stated.
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