Nine royal families in the Oyo Kingdom of Oyo State have urged the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to postpone the existing process of appointing a new Alaafin of Oyo until the outcome of a case filed in 2020 over the stool.
The call was made at a press conference held at Akinmonrin in Oyo town on Saturday.
The Alaafin stool became vacant in April 2022, following the demise of Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, who spent more than 50 years on the throne; he was from the Alowolodu Ruling House. His predecessor, Oba Gbadegesin Ladigbolu, was of the Agunloye Ruling House.
The spokesman for the nine royal families, Prince Adesina Afolabi, from Adeitan royal family said: “The entire royal families in Alaafin Atiba Ruling House wish to congratulate Governor Seyi Makinde on his resounding victory in the last governorship election in the state. With the victory, the good people of Oyo State have really proved and demonstrated their love for His Excellency. It is also a proof that the governor is adjudged to have performed creditably well in the first term.
“We are expressing our gratitude to Governor Makinde for his role in upholding the Rule of Law and ensuring that traditional institutions are not politicised or manipulated for personal gain. It is refreshing to see that the governor is committed to promoting transparency and accountability in the process of selecting a new Alaafin of Oyo. This is a clear indication of his unwarranted commitment to good governance and the overall well-being of the people of our state.
“We must commend Governor Makinde’s stance on fairness and due process in the selection process of the new Alaafin. This decision will not only restore the people’s confidence in the leadership of our state, but also serve as a deterrent to others who may want to circumvent the law for personal gains.
“In essence, the request is for the Governor of Oyo State to refrain from taking any further action, regarding the selection of a new Alaafin, until the court case that has been filed against the Chieftaincy Declaration of the Alaafin is resolved.
“This is to ensure that the process of selecting a new Alaafin is conducted in a transparent and just manner, as stipulated by the law. It would be unfair to appoint a new Alaafin while the court case is still pending. It is important that the governor recognises the significance of the traditional institution and ensures that a fair and just process is followed in selecting the next Alaafin.
“It is time to put an end to the years of discrimination that has plagued the selection of the Alaafin of Oyo in the past. The nine Atiba children have been marginalised for too long, and it is only fair that they are given a chance to ascend the throne. We urge the governor to make history by selecting the new king from among the nine Atiba children.”
Afolabi explained that Atiba, who founded Oyo, had 11 recognised children and each of the 11 children grew over the years to become royal houses. He added that the Agunloye and Alowolodu had been the ones producing the Alaafin on rotational basis, while nine other ruling houses had allegedly been marginalised. He said the nine allegedly marginalised families were Adeitan, Tella Okitipapa, Olanite, Adelabu, Adediran, Tella Agbojulogun, Adesokan Baba Idode, Adesiyan, and Abidekun.