The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has denied claims that he met with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, or endorsed the rotational chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
The denial was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye.
According to the palace, its attention was drawn to a statement credited to Governor Makinde, in which he reportedly claimed to have consulted the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, and the Soun of Ogbomoso regarding the rotational chairmanship arrangement.
However, the palace firmly dismissed the claim, stating that no such meeting ever took place.
“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.
The palace further clarified that the Alaafin did not at any time make statements or give approval to Governor Makinde or any other person in support of a rotational chairmanship among the monarchs.
It stressed that the Alaafin’s official position on the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs had already been clearly 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 palace said.
While the contents of the memo were not disclosed, the palace maintained that it remains the official and binding position of the Alaafin and the Oyo people on the matter.
Recall that Governor Seyi Makinde recently inaugurated the Oyo State Council of Obas, appointing the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Akanmu Ladoja (ARUSA I), as the pioneer chairman for a two-year term.
The governor announced that the chairmanship of the council would rotate among the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Alaafin of Oyo, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, with each monarch serving for two years. He said the move was intended to promote unity and cooperation among traditional institutions in the state.
However, the absence of the Alaafin of Oyo at the inauguration ceremony raised concerns and speculation.
The development has since attracted strong opposition from the Oyo Forum, Abuja, a group of prominent Oyo indigenes. In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Engineer Segun Owolabi, and Media/Publicity Chairman, Ambassador Tunde Mustapha, the Forum warned that introducing a rotational chairmanship could undermine the cultural, historical, and ancestral significance of the Alaafin stool.
The group called on Governor Makinde to withhold assent to the bill passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly, arguing that the Alaafin stool represents far more than a political office, but a revered institution with deep historical roots dating back to pre-colonial Yoruba civilisation.
According to the Forum, reducing the Alaafin’s position to a rotational office could be interpreted as disrespect to Yoruba heritage and tradition.
