In a landmark gesture of reconciliation and solidarity, two of the most revered royal institutions in Yorubaland — the Throne of Oduduwa in Ile-Ife and the Alaafin throne in Oyo — came together on Friday at a special event held at the Eko Hotel Signature Building, Lagos, to reaffirm their shared commitment to peace, unity, and the progress of the Yoruba nation.
The meeting, convened by Odole-Oodua, Kesington Adebutu, formed part of the activities marking his 90th birthday celebration. It brought together a distinguished assembly of traditional rulers, Yoruba elders, and eminent personalities from across Nigeria and the diaspora.
Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, met in a warm and cordial atmosphere that underscored the centuries-old fraternal bond between the two thrones — both descendants of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race.
Speaking at the event, both monarchs expressed a collective resolve to work together for the advancement of Yoruba unity and the cultural renaissance of the Southwest. They emphasised the need for peace, collaboration, and visionary leadership among all Yoruba sons and daughters, regardless of political or regional affiliations.
Adebutu, whose lifelong philanthropy and devotion to Yoruba development inspired the meeting, commended the monarchs for their statesmanship and foresight. He described their symbolic reunion as “a divine moment of healing and renewed brotherhood for the Yoruba nation.”
Observers hailed the event as a historic milestone that could reshape inter-royal relations across the region. The meeting also reaffirmed Yoruba traditional institutions’ crucial role in fostering harmony, cultural pride, and moral leadership at a time of national uncertainty and social fragmentation.
