Obas Council: ‘We Are No More In Oyo Empire’, Tinubu’s Aide Tells Alaafin

Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has weighed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding the leadership of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, saying traditional rulers must adapt to the realities of modern governance and work together for unity and development rather than seeking supremacy.

Ajayi, in a post shared on his verified Facebook page on Saturday night, emphasised that the era of empires and territorial dominance among Yoruba monarchies had long passed even as he cited the non-existent dominance of colonialists over their former colonies.

“We are no longer in the era of Oyo Empire. Rome and the United Kingdom that once ruled more than half of the world as empires can no longer claim sovereignty over their former colonies. Times have changed. We are now in a new world,” he wrote.

He further noted that the historical Oyo Empire belongs to the past and that the totality of Yorubaland was never entirely under the rule of the Alaafin of Oyo.

“Oyo Empire now belongs to history, and the whole of what we now know as Yorubaland was never under the rule of the Alaafin. The society will function well if the current natural rulers in Yorubaland understand their roles in modern society,” Ajayi counselled.

The presidential aide urged Yoruba traditional rulers to focus on collaboration rather than rivalry, stressing that their collective effort was key to preserving peace and promoting development.

“Our kings should now work collaboratively to preserve peace, unity, and development in their communities whilst preserving our cultural values,” he advised.

LEADERSHIP reports that Governor Seyi Makinde had on Thursday inaugurated the new Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, appointing the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, as the pioneer chairman for a two-year term under a rotational system among Alaafin, Olubadan and Soun of Ogbomosoland.

The governor stated that he reached the decision after consulting the Alaafin of Oyo, Olubadan of Ibadanland, and Soun of Ogbomoso, adding that all three monarchs endorsed the arrangement to rotate the council’s leadership among them.

However, the Alaafin of Oyo, who was absent during the inauguration, later issued a statement denying that he was consulted or that he consented to the rotation of the council’s chairmanship, sparking tension on the implication of the confrontational approach of Alaafin to the Oyo State Government.