Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde says he has no preferred candidate for the vacant stool of the Alaafin of Oyo.
He told indigenes of Oyo town that he had no anointed candidate for the position of Alaafin of Oyo to fill the stool left by the late Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111.
The governor, however, said a candidate for the throne will soon emerge.
The governor, through the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, presented the Part II Recognised Chieftaincy Certificates to 12 Baales, now lesser Obas, for their different domains. The event took place at the Oba Adeyemi Mini Stadium, Ode Aremo, Oyo town.
The elevated chiefs are Chief Olaniyi Adeoye Adegboye 111, (Oloodu of Ojongbodu, Oyo); Chief David Ademola Oyediran (Alaguo of Aguo, Oyo); Chief Samuel Olusegun Odurinde (Alajagba of Ajagba, Oyo); Chief Isiaka Tella Titiloye (Ona Isokun of Isokun, Oyo); Chief Salawu Abu Oyeniran (Onigudugbu of Gudugbu, Oyo); Chief Jimoh Ajiboye Oyeleye (Alakeetan of Akeetan, Oyo).
Others are Chief Ganiyu Ajiboye Busari (Alago- Oja, Oyo); Chief Abel Olufemi Oyekan (Elepe of Iseke); Chief Oyeleke Yusuf Isola (Onidode of Idode); Chief Tijani Ajekigbe Okunshinde (Alapaara of Apaara 1); Chief Adebisi Basiru Adebayo (Olotefon of Otefon, Oyo); and Chief Fakayode Moses Alowonle (Onimeleke of Imeleke 1). Oyo).
They are now qualified to attend the meetings of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs at the Parliament Building, Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
In attendance were some of the Oyomesi Kingmakers, including the Iba Samu of Oyo, High Chief Lamidi Oyewàle; the Agbaakin of Oyo, High Chief Asimiyu Atanda; the Baba Iyaji of Oyo, Chief Mukaila Afonja; the former Speaker of the Oyo state House of Assembly, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu; the former Speaker of the House of Assembly during the administration of late Adebayo Alao-Akala, Rt. Hon. Moroof Atilola); and the four local government chairmen in Oyo town; Akeem Olukitobi, Oyo West; Wahab Adetunji, Atiba; Sola Oluokun, Oyo East; and Olufemi Aikomo, Afijio, among many others.
The Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuff Akinade, the head of the Oyomesi (Kingmakers) was absent at the event. He and some others dragged the governor and the state government to court over the selection process for the candidate to succeed Oba Adeyemi (who joined his ancestors on April 22, 2022 at 83 years of age).
The commissioner, who delivered the governor’s address, said he had had a series of meetings with his boss, “And I am assuring the people of Oyo town that Governor Seyi Makinde has no anointed candidate.’’
