Ilorin… a city of mystery, history, and endless debate.

When you walk through its streets today, you hear Yoruba language, see Yoruba dressing, and feel Yoruba culture everywhere. But when you look at the palace, you bow to a Fulani Emir, not a Yoruba king.

So the question that has divided historians, politicians, and ordinary people for two centuries remains:

Who is the true owner of Ilorin – the Yorubas or the Fulanis?

Let’s break it down:

The Ancient Yoruba Roots

Before the names Afonja and Shehu Alimi ever entered the story, Ilorin was already a Yoruba settlement.
It was originally part of the powerful Oyo Empire. Hunters, farmers, and blacksmiths settled there, using a grinding stone to sharpen their tools. That stone gave the town its name: “Ìlórin” – literally meaning the place of sharpening.

Ilorin was not an isolated village. It was a frontier outpost of the Oyo Empire, positioned to guard against northern invaders. The early inhabitants were Yorubas—people tied to Oyo’s traditions, religion, and political system.

So from the very beginning, the roots of Ilorin were Yoruba. Its name, its land, its people.

The Rise of Afonja and the Turning Point

The real drama began in the early 1800s with Afonja, the legendary Are-Ona-Kakanfo (the generalissimo of Oyo).

Afonja was stationed in Ilorin, but conflict broke out between him and the Alaafin of Oyo. Hungry for independence, he rebelled against the king. To strengthen himself, Afonja invited Shehu Alimi, a Fulani Islamic scholar, to Ilorin.

At first, this alliance looked clever. Alimi’s followers were brave, united, and inspired by the great Sokoto Jihad of Usman dan Fodio. They provided Afonja with spiritual legitimacy and military strength.

But what Afonja didn’t realize was that he had opened the gates of Ilorin to a new power.

The partnership broke down. Afonja was eventually betrayed and killed—many say through Alimi’s influence. With Afonja gone, the Yoruba grip on Ilorin collapsed.

This was the turning point.

The Fulani Takeover and the Birth of the Emirate

After Afonja’s fall, Shehu Alimi’s followers took charge. By the 1820s, Ilorin had transformed from a Yoruba outpost into an Emirate under the Sokoto Caliphate. The throne of Ilorin became the seat of a Fulani emir, tied directly to Sokoto.

But here is the irony—while the rulers were Fulani, the city itself remained Yoruba in culture. The people spoke Yoruba, dressed Yoruba, sang Yoruba, and still held on to their traditions—though now under

Islamic influence.

This created a dual identity that still exists today:

Yoruba by culture and population.

Fulani by rulership and political history.

That’s why Ilorin is unlike any other city in Nigeria. It is not fully Hausa-Fulani like Kano or Sokoto. It is not fully Yoruba like Ibadan or Oyo. It is something in-between, a hybrid identity born out of history, betrayal, and politics.

So, Who Truly Owns Ilorin?

Here’s where the debate never ends.

If you ask a historian, they will tell you:

Ilorin is originally Yoruba land. Its name, its founders, its early culture—all Yoruba.

But if you ask about rulership, they’ll say:

Ilorin has been a Fulani Emirate for 200 years. Its kingship belongs to the descendants of Shehu Alimi, tied to the Sokoto Caliphate.

So who owns Ilorin?

By origin and culture → The Yorubas.

By rulership and political history → The Fulanis.

And that is why Ilorin remains one of the most contested cities in Nigeria’s history. A place where Yoruba men bow to a Fulani Emir, where the call to prayer has replaced the talking drums of the Oyo priests, and where history itself refuses to be silent.

Now I throw the question back to you:
Do you see Ilorin as a Yoruba city under Fulani rulers?
Or has it become a Fulani city with Yoruba population?
Drop your thoughts below. Let’s settle this once and for all in the comments!

Credits: AfriVerse Diaries

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The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, on Thursday, disclosed that he is not in a supremacy battle with any monarch either in Yorubaland or anywhere in the universe.

He made this disclosure in a statement released by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The fresh battle between the Alaafin, Oba Owoade and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, started last Monday after the Alaafin faulted the Ooni’s decision to confer the title of Okanlomo of Oduwa on a businessman, Dotun Sanusi, during the unveiling of an indigenous social media network- 2geda, at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan, at the weekend.

The statement explained that Alaafin is a veritable custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition, and has always taken into consideration the safety and welfare of his subjects at all times. It added that the monarch relied heavily on the will and wishes of his subjects.

Durojaiye said he (Alaafin) would never compromise tradition, culture and development of his people for a pot of porridge.

He said the monarch operates a government that is judged by its result, as prosperity, security and well-being of the people dictated his popularity both in the palace and in the empire at large.

The statement reads in part, “Why Alaafin does not need to get into any battle for supremacy with any Oba, either in Yorubaland or anywhere in the universe? These immortal words of Alexander Graham Bell – The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion.

“It is the man who carefully advances step by step, with his mind becoming wider and wider, and progressively be able to grasp any theme or situation -persevering in what he knows to be practical, and concentrating his thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree” – sum up the life voyage of Owoade, an indomitable monarch with an unequalled passion for the great good of all.

“He (Alaafin) is a veritable custodian of Yoruba culture and tradition, and has always taken into consideration the safety and welfare of his subjects and will never compromise tradition, culture and development of his people for a pot of porridge. The history has been so kind and friendly to Alaafin Owoade publicity since he ascended the throne of his forefathers, as he does not need to get into any battle for supremacy with any oba, either in Yorubaland or anywhere in the universe.

“Alaafin combines humility with royalty to meet the modern-day demands. Kabiyesi (the king who no one questions). Iku Baba Yeye (The one who commands death/he who is parent to death). Alashe (He who wields authority). Ekeji Orisha (Second-in-command to the gods). The Alaafin was inducted into the mysteries of various gods like Ifa, Sango etc to be the direct representative of these deities on earth.”

The statement added, “At the hallowed ground of the Yoruba ancient shrine, as Owoade made a covenant with illustrious Yoruba ancestors that he would defend, protect and add glamour to the Yoruba norms and tradition. Oduduwa’s Principal minister and grandson, Oranmiyan (Because Oduduwa begot Okanbi, (an only child and Okanbi begot Oranmiyan, among others, namely Ila-Orangun, Oni-Sabe, Olu-Popo, Ala-Ketu, Oba-Benin) founded the city of Oyo when prolonged drought struck Ile-Ife as a result of people’s emigration.

“Oyo simply rose to prominence through wealth gained from trade and its military skills. It was the largest West African empire, the most important and authoritative of all the early Yoruba principalities. More so, the British, as it was in their tradition, recognised lineage as meaningful supremacy and legitimacy, preferring to sign the Treaty of Cessation with the Alaafin as the Superior Head of the Yoruba Nation.

“In politics also, he is concerned about the sanctity of his position, and whatever happens on the welfare of his people. Customs and all traditional practices of today in government, religion and economic life have had distance, and possibly age-long origins which were based on valid and accepted tenets that emerged from the synthesis and aggregated experience of a particular society.

“One of such societies is the ancient city of Oyo, reputed for cultural resources that are of rich non-material and material attributes and transmitted through generations. Moreover, the precepts and concepts of Alaafin’s administration have continued to support and nurture the people’s ancient culture and sophisticated civilisation from time immemorial.

Following the expiration of the 48-hour ultimatum issued to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, indications emerged on Wednesday that the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, was preparing to release the Supreme Court ruling, which, according to it, affirms the Alaafin’s exclusive right to confer chieftaincy titles covering the entire Yorubaland.

This development came on the heels of a series of meetings held by the Alaafin with palace chiefs in Oyo town on Wednesday to deliberate on the next steps.

On Monday, the Alaafin’s media aide, Mr Bode Durojaiye, had demanded that the Ooni revoke the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title conferred on businessman, Dotun Sanusi, within 48 hours.

He also cited the Supreme Court ruling in defence of the Alaafin’s position.

The Alaafin accused the Ooni of exceeding his authority and breaching the apex court’s pronouncement on who could confer titles with the “Yorubaland” designation.

He argued that the Ooni’s powers were limited to the former Oranmiyan Local Government Area, now split into Ife Central, Ife North and Ife South.

With the ultimatum expiring on Wednesday, multiple palace sources told The PUNCH that the Alaafin might unveil the Supreme Court judgment to reinforce his position as the paramount ruler of Yorubaland.

On social media, many Nigerians speculated about the “consequences” hinted at by the palace, even as some urged the Alaafin to caution his aide and withdraw the ultimatum.

Amid the uncertainty, the Atóbaáse of Yorubaland, Babajide Agunbiade, said the Alaafin retained historical and political supremacy among the Yoruba. He advised the monarch to consider legal action to reassert his authority.

In an open letter, Agunbiade stressed that while the Ooni remained revered as custodian of Yoruba spiritual heritage, the Alaafin’s role as paramount ruler was indisputable.

He traced the Alaafin’s authority to the Oyo Empire, whose influence once extended across present-day Yorubaland, Dahomey, Offa and parts of Kogi State.

Agunbiade described recent actions by the Ooni of Ife as “an attempt to undermine the authority and tradition of the Alaafin.”

Agunbiade wrote, “As the paramount ruler of the Oyo Empire, which historically spanned vast territories including present-day Yorubaland, Dahomey, Offa, and parts of Kogi State, the Alaafin’s jurisdiction and authority are rooted in tradition and law.

The issuance of Yoruba-wide titles is a prerogative reserved for the Alaafin, as the

Emperor and ruler of the Yoruba people.

“This position has been reinforced through various judicial pronouncements, culminating in affirmation by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The Alaafin’s role as the paramount authority in Yoruba land is not merely a matter of tradition but is also grounded in legal precedent. This is not just a matter of personal prestige but also of preserving the cultural heritage and traditions of the Yoruba people.”

But a legal practitioner, Pelumi Olajengbesi, countered that no Supreme Court judgment or constitutional instrument granted the Alaafin exclusive pan-Yoruba authority.

He said, “With the greatest respect, the oft-cited Supreme Court decision that purportedly vested Alaafin authority now exaggerated must be properly confined to its facts. Judicial pronouncements are case-specific, and no ratio decidendi of that Court has ever declared the Alaafin the sole custodian of Yoruba legitimacy. No statute in any Yoruba-speaking state vests exclusive authority in the Alaafin to confer titles of pan-Yoruba significance, and the Court cannot by judicial fiat extend such jurisdiction.

“The law is clear, history is unambiguous, and jurisprudence is settled. The Ooni of Ife has not usurped power; he has exercised it intra vires—lawfully, historically, and culturally. He remains the ancestral father of the Yoruba nation, and his competence to confer honours symbolic of unity is beyond reproach.”

Olajengbesi urged that the Alaafin be properly advised, noting that Ile-Ife was universally recognised as the cradle of the Yoruba.

“Every student of Yoruba history knows, tradition and scholarship unanimously affirm Ile-Ife as the cradle of existence of the Yoruba people, the primordial seat where Oduduwa, progenitor of the race, laid the foundation of legitimacy from which all kingdoms, including Oyo, derived their authority.

“As a lawyer, I find no legal, historical, or moral defect in the Ooni’s conferment of the title Okanlomo of Oodua on Chief Dotun Sanusi, an illustrious Yoruba son. On the contrary, it is a timely reminder that while empires rise and fall, the foundation of Yoruba identity, the Ile-Ife and the Ooni, remain timeless, indivisible, and unimpeachable. The Alaafin of Oyo should be properly advised,” Olajengbesi added.

Meanwhile, more groups waded into the dispute between Oba Owoade and Oba Ogunwusi, urging restraint and caution against inflammatory remarks that could derail ongoing peace efforts by socio-cultural, political and religious leaders.

The fresh row had erupted on Monday after the Alaafin faulted the Ooni’s conferment of the Okanlomo of Yorubaland title on Sanusi.

Prominent Yoruba figures, including the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Iba Gani Adams; Ifa scholar, Prof. Wande Abimbola; and the Yoruba Council of Elders, had on Tuesday called for restraint and offered to mediate.

On Wednesday, the Yoruba Council Worldwide described the feud as a matter requiring “calm, reflection and unity.”

Its publicity secretary, Charles Adeyemi, urged Yoruba elders, statesmen and culture custodians to mediate constructively and preserve the dignity of both stools.

The council also appealed to citizens, especially youths, on social media, to avoid inflaming tensions.

The YCW statement read, “We also appeal directly to Yoruba sons and daughters, especially the vibrant voices on social media: let us refrain from speaking ill of our monarchs. Instead, let us be advocates of peace, understanding, and reconciliation. Our words carry weight, and in times of tension, they should be used to build bridges, not walls.

“The Alaafin and the Ooni represent eternal symbols of Yoruba civilisation. Their strength and unity are not only crucial for cultural preservation but also for the collective dignity of the Yoruba nation before the world.

“We therefore call for a truce, apology and immediate retraction of the 48-hour ultimatum issued by Bode Durojaiye, spokesman to the Alaafin of Oyo, while we await the convocation of the Yoruba Obas Conference to allow for a peace pact in Yorubaland.”

Similarly, the President, Traditional Region Worshippers Association in Osun State, Dr Oluseyi Atanda, on Wednesday, called on Nigerians to stop using social media platforms to fuel the disagreement between the two monarchs.

Atanda made this call in Osogbo, during events organised to mark the 19th annual Isese Celebrations in the state.

He disclosed that traditionalists in Osun and Oyo States were already mediating and working towards an amicable resolution of the issues.

Atanda said, “It is a warning to all of us that once we don’t do things in the right way, things are likely to fall apart. It is good that it is happening at an early stage. On our part in Osun, the elders are gathering together and trying to make amends.

“The message has also gotten to the leaders in Oyo, too. We have to wade in for everybody to sheath their swords. It is because of social media that we all think this is a new thing.”

Atanda added that clashes between the two stools were not unprecedented, recalling disputes between the late Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, and the late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.

He warned bloggers against “fueling fire with petrol,” insisting the row would pass.

“This is not new. It is just because there is social media now. I think we also need to stop this idea of trying to fuel the fire with petrol in order for us to make sales on our blogs. We are all also contributing to the trend that is on the ground now, but I know it will pass,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Think Yoruba First Ogo Adulawo Socio-Cultural Association condemned attempts to distort Yoruba history.

At a press conference in Lagos, its lead legal adviser, Sanwo Oluwatobi, described such claims as “cultural defamation, historical falsification and intellectual misrepresentation.”

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