Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has announced plans to confer the prestigious traditional title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
An invitation currently circulating online and sighted indicates that the traditional investiture ceremony will take place in Oyo Town on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
The development comes nearly three months after the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, announced Ibadan-based businessman, Prince Dotun Sanusi, as Okanlomo Oodua.
Reacting to the planned installation, a source within the Oyo palace confirmed that the ceremony would proceed as scheduled.
According to him, while Seyi Tinubu would be installed as the Okanlomo of Yorubaland, a former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, will also be conferred a traditional title as Obaloyin of Yorubaland.
It was gathered that the Oyo Palace is set to release an official statement on the installation any moment from now. Sources also confirmed that preparations for the event are in top gear, with the local organising committee working intensively to ensure a smooth and successful ceremony.
The conferment of the title is expected to attract dignitaries, traditional rulers, and political stakeholders from across Yorubaland and beyond.
Meanwhile, following the announcement of Dotun Sanusi as Okanlomo Oodua in August by the Ooni of Ife, the Alaafin Oyo issued a statement calling on Oba Ogunwusi to withdraw the title within 48 hours, stating that the Ooni has no authority to confer titles in Yorubaland.
Alaafin Owoade, who ascended the throne as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo in January 2025, described the Ooni’s action as an “affront” to his authority and a disregard for Yoruba tradition and law.
According to the statement, only the Alaafin of Oyo holds the exclusive right to confer chieftaincy titles that cover the entire Yorubaland.
The Alaafin’s statement also referenced a Supreme Court ruling and the Ooni’s instrument of office, which he claimed limits the latter’s traditional authority to the Ife region.
The two monarchs however reunited at a session convened by Sir Kessington Adebutu, which took place at the Eko Hotel Signature Building during Adebutu’s 90th birthday anniversary.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, both monarchs emphasised peace, mutual respect, and collective progress.
“They announced the creation of a Joint Council of Yoruba Unity, a body that will focus on peacebuilding, cultural preservation, and socioeconomic development across Yorubaland,” a statement from the Ooni’s palace said.