A prominent businesswoman based in the United States and a guardian of Yoruba traditional heritage, Erelu Tinuade Mabel Onaneye, has publicly reprimanded Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale (Oluwo of Iwo) over statements she deems insulting and defamatory against Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ooni of Ife).
Erelu Onaneye, widely known as Erelu Oodua, affirmed that the Ooni holds the highest traditional status among the Yoruba people, arguing that no other throne in Yorubaland can be equated to that of Ife in terms of heritage, authority, or prestige. She declared that any attempt to diminish or contest that status would amount to rewriting history.
In direct remarks to the Oluwo, she said:
“By all the defamatory and derogatory blackmail you, Oluwo of Iwo, have hurled at His Imperial Majesty … it must be said without mincing words: in status, in heritage and in authority, Ooni is not your mate. Accept your fate, stay in your lane and confine yourself to being monarch of Iwoland.”
Erelu Oodua also urged fellow Yoruba traditional rulers to maintain the sanctity of their thrones and avoid rivalry that could fracture the unity of the people. She emphasized that Yoruba sons and daughters—both at home and abroad—must uphold respect for royal institutions, and that mutual respect among monarchs is crucial to preserving cultural identity and heritage.
