From Ife to Oyo: The Colonial Curse of Indirect Rule Still Alive — Says Mogaji Raji-Oyelade

From Ife to Oyo: The Colonial Curse of Indirect Rule Still Alive — Says Mogaji Raji-Oyelade

Renowned scholar and Mogaji Olubadan of Ibadanland, Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, has reflected on the enduring colonial legacy of indirect rule in Yorubaland, warning that unresolved rivalries among Yoruba monarchs still shape the dynamics of power, culture, and identity in contemporary times.

In an essay titled “From Ife to Oyo: The Colonial Curse of Indirect Rule Is Still Alive”, Raji-Oyelade traced the roots of supremacy contests among Yoruba traditional rulers to colonial distortions of indigenous governance structures.

According to him, colonial records categorized Yoruba kings into hierarchical classes, with the Alaafin of Oyo, Alake of Abeokuta, Awujale of Ijebu, Oba of Benin, and the Ooni of Ife ranked as “first-class Obas.” In the second category, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Owa of Ilesa, Osemawe of Ondo, and Orangun of Ila were placed.

“These rankings also determined the salary grade of the kings so listed. The colonial masters undid some crucial aspects of Yoruba history to fit their mission,” he explained, adding that postcolonial politicians deepened the imbalance with “vengeance and preferences,” thereby fueling divisions in the House of Oduduwa.

Raji-Oyelade outlined the traditional Yoruba constitution before colonial interference: Ife as the spiritual source, Oyo as the political head, and Ibadan as the military command of the Empire. “Only if contemporary historians emphasise the beauty of this dialectic of power, we will know peace,” he stressed.

He noted that the British colonial government favored the Alaafin, recognizing him as head of the Yorubas, before shifting support to Ooni Adesoji Aderemi, who later became a close ally of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group. This change, he said, swung the pendulum of influence from Oyo to Ife after Nigeria’s independence.

“The fall of one monarch was the emergence into popularity of another. Sentimental historians didn’t help the matter; they fuelled the friction,” he observed.

Highlighting postcolonial developments, Raji-Oyelade pointed to the reign of Alaafin Adeyemi III, who spearheaded what he called the “new Oyo Renaissance” after the Civil War, projecting Yoruba political and cultural influence across Nigeria and the diaspora. Similarly, Ooni Olubuse expanded Ife’s spiritual influence to Brazil, Cuba, and beyond.

He also recalled historical court rulings, particularly the case of Chief Tom Ikimi, where Alaafin Adeyemi III successfully challenged the Ooni’s conferment of the title “Akinrogun of Yorubaland.” The ruling affirmed that only the Alaafin could bestow titles with the suffix “…of Yorubaland,” a privilege rooted in colonial recognition of his political supremacy.

Similar controversies, he said, resurfaced in the early 1990s over titles involving Chief MKO Abiola, reflecting the recurring power struggle between Oyo and Ife.

“Always, the struggle between Oyo and Ife has always been between the preservation of cultural history and the retrieval of mythical power in the modern age,” Raji-Oyelade explained.

Concluding on a conciliatory note, the Mogaji, who described himself as both “a friend to the Ooni and a great grandchild of the Adeyemi ruling house of Oyo,” urged Yoruba leaders to prioritize unity and legacy over supremacy battles.

“Titles don’t last; legacies last; power must be aware of progress, and mutual respect must overcome power-wielding. Yoruba ń’ronú,” he wrote.