The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has denied claims that he met with Governor Seyi Makinde or endorsed the rotational chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
Naijaonpoint reports that the denial was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye.
The palace said its attention was drawn to a statement credited to Governor Makinde, in which he reportedly claimed to have consulted the Alaafin, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the Soun of Ogbomoso on the rotational chairmanship arrangement.
According to the palace, there was no time the Alaafin held any meeting with the governor or with the other traditional rulers mentioned.
“The Palace hereby wants to state clearly that there was no time that His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, held any meeting with either the State Governor or any of the two traditional rulers mentioned above,” the statement read.
It added that the Alaafin did not make any statement to the governor or anyone else endorsing rotational chairmanship among the three monarchs.
The palace stressed that the Alaafin’s position on the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs had already been formally communicated.
“The position of the Alaafin and the entire Oyo community on the general issue of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs has been enunciated in a memo delivered to His Excellency by the Oyo Council of Elders,” the statement said.
The palace did not disclose the contents of the memo but maintained that it remains the official stance of the Alaafin and the Oyo people on the matter.
Recall that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had inaugurated the inaugural edition of the Oyo State Council of Obas, with the Olubadan of Ibadanland l, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Akanmu Ladoja ARUSA 1, appointed as the chairman for a two-year term.
Naijaonpoint reports that this development marks a new chapter in the governance of traditional institutions in the state, as the council will now rotate leadership among the Obas.
The announcement was made by Governor Seyi Makinde at a brief ceremony held at the House of Chiefs, Agodi, Ibadan.
The event, which was attended by various traditional rulers and dignitaries, marked a new chapter in the history of the Oyo State Council of Obas.
According to Governor Makinde, the chairmanship of the council will be rotational among the trio of Olubadan, Alaafin of Oyo, and Soun of Ogbomoso-land, with each leader serving a term of two years.
This decision, the Governor emphasized, is aimed at promoting unity and cooperation among the traditional institutions in the state. The rotational system, he noted, will provide an opportunity for each of the prominent traditional rulers to contribute to the development of the state.
Meanwhile, the absence of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, at the event raised eyebrows.
However, the move has been met with strong opposition from the Oyo Forum, Abuja, a group of influential Oyo indigenes, who have voiced concerns over the proposed amendment to the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs Law. The Forum, in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Engineer Segun Owolabi, and Media/Publicity Chairman, Ambassador Tunde Mustapha, warned that the introduction of a rotational chairmanship could undermine the cultural and historical significance of the Alaafin stool.
The Forum called on Governor Makinde to withhold assent to the bill currently before him, following its passage by the Oyo State House of Assembly.
The Oyo Forum’s statement highlighted that the Alaafin stool is not merely a local political office, but one with a historical legacy that dates back to pre-colonial times, representing the spiritual and ancestral leadership of the Yoruba people. According to the Forum, reducing the position to a rotating office could be seen as disrespecting a legacy that holds deep cultural value for the entire Yoruba ethnic group.