Times have changed. We are now in a new world. Oyo Empire now belongs to history and the whole of what we now know as Yorubaland was never under the rule of Alaafin.
We are no longer in the era of Oyo Empire. Rome and United Kingdom that once ruled more than half of the world as empires can no longer claim sovereignty over the former colonies. Times have changed. We are now in a new world. Oyo Empire now belongs to history and the whole of… pic.twitter.com/u1h3QnNaU8
— Temitope Ajayi (@TheTope_Ajayi) January 17, 2026
A Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has stirred controversy after declaring that the era of imperial dominance associated with the old Oyo Empire has ended and that no traditional ruler in Yorubaland is superior to others. Ajayi made the remarks in a post on X on Saturday, which he accompanied with a photograph of the current Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, arguing against claims of hierarchical supremacy among Yoruba monarchs. “We are no longer in the era of the Oyo Empire,” Ajayi wrote. “Rome and the United Kingdom, that once ruled more than half of the world as empires, can no longer claim sovereignty over former colonies. Times have changed. We are now in a new world.”
The presidential aide stressed that the historical Oyo Empire should not be conflated with present-day cultural or political authority, noting that Yorubaland was never entirely under the control of the Alaafin. “Oyo Empire now belongs to history and the whole of what we now know as Yorubaland was never under the rule of the Alaafin,” he said. Ajayi called on traditional rulers in the South-West to embrace collaborative leadership suited to modern realities, adding, “The society will function well if the current natural rulers in Yorubaland understand their roles in modern society,” and urged kings to “work collaboratively to preserve peace, unity and development in their communities whilst preserving our cultural values.”