Alaafin: Makinde dares Oyo kingmakers, presents Staff of Office to Owoade

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday presented the Staff of Office to the new Alaafin of Oyo, Abimbola Owoade.

The ceremony which took place at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, ended months of anticipation on the successor of the revered Oba Lamidi Adeyemi who died in 2022.

Yet, behind the pomp and pageantry, an intriguing battle lies ahead within the ranks of Oyo’s traditional kingmakers—one that threatens to legitimacy of the new Alaafin and the integrity of the ancient stool.

The governor had last week approved Owoade’s appointment as the new Alaafin.

A few hours later the kingmakers in a letter signed by their legal representative, Adekunle Sobalolu, and addressed to the governor, declared the appointment of Owoade as illegal and unlawful.

The kingmakers claimed they never recommended Owoade to the state government at any time.

They insisted the only person recommended on September 30, 2022, by the majority of the kingmakers’ lawful votes as the next Alaafin was Prince Lukman Gbadegesin.

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The five kingmakers that opposed the governor’s appointment of the new Alaafin are the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Layinka; the Lagunna of Oyo, High Chief Wakeel Oyedepo, and the Akinniku of Oyo, High Chief Hamzat Yusuf.

The development has elicited mixed reactions within and outside the Oyo Town.

While some argued that the governor’s intervention was necessary to break a deadlock among the kingmakers and ensure the timely selection of a new Alaafin to prevent a leadership vacuum, others, however, see his involvement as an overreach that undermines the autonomy of Oyo’s traditional institution.

This has caused concerns about the unity of the Oyo kingdom. For centuries, the Alaafin has been a symbol of authority and cohesion among the Yoruba people.

If the divisions within the kingmakers deepen, it could weaken the influence of the throne and disrupt the delicate balance between traditional rulers and governance in Oyo State.

Moreover, this controversy could set a precedent for political interference in the selection of traditional rulers across Nigeria, a move many fear could dilute the country’s cultural heritage.

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