Five prominent kingmakers in Oyo town have rejected the move by Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to kickstart a fresh process for the selection of a new monarch to occupy the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo.
The kingmakers, who opposed the new selection process include High Chief Yusuf Akinade, Basorun of Oyo; High Chief Wakeel Akindele, Lagunna of Oyo; High Chief Hamzat Yusuf, Akinniku of Oyo; Chíef Wahab Oyetunji, warrant chief standing-in for Asipa of Oyo, and Chief Gbadebo Mufutau, warrant chief standing-in for Alapinni of Oyo.
They described the fresh move as illegal and a disregard for the judiciary.
The stance of the kingmakers, known as Oyomesi, was made known in a letter addressed to Governor Makinde, which was signed on their behalf by their legal representative, Adekunle Sobaloju (SAN), and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday.
“We have just been reliably informed by our clients that you have just through the Oyo State Commissíoner for Chieftaincy Affairs and Chairmen of Atiba and Oyo East Local Governments appointed (i) Chief Odurinde Olusegun (Alajagba of Ajagba) (ii) Chief Ganiyu Ajiboye (Alago-Oja of Ago Oja) as warrant kíngmakers to join High Chief Asimiyu Atanda (Agbaakin of Oyo) and High Chief Lamidi Oyewale (Samu of Oyo) to kick start the process of selecting another candidate to fill the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo.
“The two local government chairmen and the said warrant chiefs and High Chief Asimiyu Atanda (Agbaakin of Oyo) and High Chief Lamidi Oyewale (Samu of Oyo) who are not in support of the decision of the majority of the kingmakers that selected Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin as the Alafin-elect, were summoned today, 9th January, 2025 to the office of the Oyo State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs where they were ordered to commence a fresh process to fill the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo,” Sobaloju said.
He noted that since there was a pending court case on the matter, the governor’s attempt to kickstart a new process was a disregard to his oath of office, judiciary and the country’s constitution.
Sobaloju added that the governor’s move was similar to his past action when he disregarded a pending case before the court and proceeded to dissolve democratically-elected local government councils in the State, which the Supreme Court eventually condemned and described as a “Disturbing ugly face of impunity displayed by the Governor of Oyo State, tantamounting to executive lawlessness.”
“Proceeding to commence a fresh process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo would be subjudice and tantamount to lawlessness and disregard of the superior courts of record, an act which Your Excellency ought to distance yourself from.
“We, therefore, once more request and urge Your Excellency to suspend any plan to kickstart fresh process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alafin of Oyo during the pendency of a motion for injunction, pending appeal in obedience to law and integrity of our courts,” he added.
It would be recalled that the Oyo throne became vacant after Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III joined his ancestors on April 22, 2022, at the age of 83.
