Oyo: Alaafin fumes as Makinde installs Ladoja chairman of Obas council

Alaafin Owoade

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday inaugurated the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs after 15 years, with the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, emerging as its first chairman.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, was conspicuously absent from the inauguration, which was held at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan.

At the inauguration, Governor Makinde explained that the chairmanship of the Oba council will be rotated among the Olubadan, Alaafin and the Soun of Ogbomoso.

According to him, it was an agreement reached at a meeting with the three first-class monarchs.

But in a swift statement on Thursday by his media aide, Bode Durojaye, the Alaafin countered the governor, saying there was no such meeting.

The statement read: “The attention of the Alaafin’s palace has been drawn to a statement credited to His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde that he consulted with the three traditional rulers in the state, the Alaafin, the Olubadan and the Soun of Ogbomoso on the rotational Chairmanship of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs.

“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 1, held any meeting with either the state governor or any of the two traditional rulers mentioned above.

“Also, the Alaafin did not tell the governor or make a categorical statement on his endorsement of rotational chairmanship among the the three traditional rulers in the state.

“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.”

Thursday inaguration came amid rumours of a feud between the Alaafin and Oba Ladoja.

A viral video circulating on social media recently showed the Alaafin appearing not to rise to greet Oba Ladoja at a public function, while the Olubadan was also seen seemingly declining the Alaafin’s handshake.

But speaking with journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, Oba Ladoja debunked claims of any rift with Oba Owoade.

Speaking during the inauguration, Makinde said the chairmanship of the council would be rotational among the Olubadan of Ibadan, the Alaafin of Oyo, and the Soun of Ogbomosoland, with each monarch serving a two-year term.

According to the governor, the arrangement was designed to promote unity, harmony, and cooperation among traditional institutions in the state. Punch