Alaafin Denies Agreeing With Makinde On Rotational Chairmanship Of Oyo Council Of Obas

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has dismissed claims by the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, that he consulted with the Alaafin, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the Soun of Ogbomosoland on the rotational chairmanship of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs.

According to a press release issued on Thursday by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, the Palace clarified that the Alaafin neither met with the governor nor endorsed the idea of a rotational chairmanship of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs among the three foremost traditional rulers in the state.

“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 I, held any meeting with either the State Governor or any of the two traditional rulers mentioned above,” the statement said.

“Also the Alaafin did not tell the Governor or make a categorical statement on his endorsement of rotational Chairmanship among the three traditional rulers in the State,” it added.

The press release further noted that the official position of the Alaafin and the entire Oyo kingdom on issues relating to the State’s Council of Obas and Chiefs has already been formally 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,” he added.

LEADERSHIP reports that Governor Makinde earlier on Thursday inaugurated the new Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs with Olubadan, Oba Rasheed Ladoja, as its first chairman for a period of two years afterwhich the Soun of Ogbomoso and Alaafin of Oyo will also take their turns to lead the Council. However, the Alaafin of Oyo, apparently in protest to the new chairmanship arrangement, was conspicuously absent at the inauguration.