Controversies have continued to trail the approval of Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade as Alaafin-designate.
DAILY POST reports that governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had on Friday announced the approval of the 47-year old Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo.
The Alaafin of Oyo stool became vacant over two years ago as a result of the transition of Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Atanda Adeyemi who joined his ancestors in April 2022.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade in a statement issued on behalf of the governor said that Owoade after thorough consultations and divinations, had been recommended by the Oyomesi and approved by the governor.
He added that a statement to this effect has been issued by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ademola Ojo.
Findings by DAILY POST revealed that Owoade, who was born in 1978, hails from the Owoade-Agunloye family in Oyo.
The news of his approval as the Alaafin-designate has been met with resistance.
Those who opposed the approval described it as illegal.
It is executive recklessness – Kingmakers
The kingmakers in Oyo in their reaction described the appointment of Owoade as a mere executive recklessness.
The five Kingmakers from the town declared the appointment null and void because they did not recommend such a name to the state government.
They insisted that the only person they recommended as the next Alaafin is Prince Luqman Gbadegesin.
This was contained in a letter they addressed to the governor, signed by their legal representative, Adekunle Sobaloju.
The kingmakers who opposed the approval included High Chief Yusuf Akínade, Bashorun of Oyo; High Chief Wakeel Akindele, Lagunna of Oyo; High Chief Hamzat Yusuf, Akinniku of Oyo; Chíef Wahab Oyetunji, warrant chief stand-in for Asipa of Oyo, and Chief Gbadebo Mufutau, warrant chief stand-in for Alapinní of Oyo.
The letter, written by their lawyer, stated that “We are Solicitors to High Chief Yusuf Akinade Ayoola Layinka (Bashorun of Oyo), High Chief Wakeel Akindele Oyedepo (Lagunna of Oyo), High Chief Hamzat Yusuf (Akinniku of Oyo), Chief Wahab Oyetunji (warrant chief standing in for Asipa of Oyo), and Chief Gbadebo Mufutau K. (warrant chief standing in for Alapınni of Oyo), hereinafter referred to as our clients.
“On their resolute instruction, we write this letter concerning the purported unlawful and illegal appointment of Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo.
“You will recall that that on 30th September, 2022 at the meeting of the Kingmakers in accordance with the Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration, 1961, the Kingmakers appointed Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin as the Alaafin of Oyo by majority of the lawful votes of the Kingmakers. Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin having obtained the majority of votes of the Kingmakers present and voting was deemed appointed and his name was forwarded to your Excellency as the candidate appointed by the Kingmakers as Alaafin of Oyo for your approval which you refused to approve for no disclosed reason at all.
“The Kingmakers thereafter filed an action to stop your excellency from truncating the process which culminated in the present appeal at the court of appeal.
“Our attention has been drawn to the press release issued on the 10th of January. 2025, in which Your Excellency announced the appointment of Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade as the Alaafin of Oyo, claiming that the selection was made after wide consultation and divination.
“With all due respect, we must emphatically state that the Alaafin is not chosen by consultation or divination but in strict compliance with the Registered Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration of 1967, which codifies the native law and custom governing the selection process for the vacant stool of the Alaafin.
“Under the Registered Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration of 1967, it is only the Bashorun of Oyo, the head of the Oyomesi and Kingmakers that can, summon a meeting of the Kingmakers for the purpose of selecting a candidate to fill the vacant stool of the Alaafin of Oyo.
“In this instance, the Bashorun did not summon any such meeting, nor was there any meeting convened in the Alaafin’s palace, as custom demands where the said Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade was selected or appointed as the new Alaafin.
“We were also informed by our clients that the subsisting Kingmakers of the Alaafin of Oyo are (1) High Chief Yusuf Akinade Ayoola Layinka (Bashorun of Oyo) (ii) High Chief Wakeel Akindele Oyedepo (Lagunna of Oyo)(iii) High Chief Hamzat Yusuf (Akinniku of Oyo) (iv) Chief Wahab Oyetunji (warrant chief standing in for Asipa of Oyo), and (v) Chief Gbadebo Mufutau K. (warrant chief standing in for Alapinni of Oyo) (vi) High Chief Asimiyu Atanda Agbaakin of Oyo and (vii) High Chief Lamidi Oyewale Samu of Oyo and a new Alaafin can only be selected by majority of the subsisting Kingmakers at a meeting duly convened by the Bashorun.
“Any meeting of few kingmakers and emergency warrant chiefs held at the Governor’s office on the 9th of January 2025 or elsewhere at the instance of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, to select the preferred candidate of the Governor as the new Alaafin is not only contrary to the native law and custom and Chieftaincy Declaration of Alafin of Oyo Chieftaincy but unlawful, illegal, invalid, null and void, It is not the duty of the Governor to convene the meeting of few kingmakers and emergency warrant chiefs to select or appoint a new Alaafin on the 9th of January, 2025 and hurriedly approve the appointment on the 10th of January, 2025.
“With respect what your excellency did is unprecedented and smacks of nothing more than executive recklessness which our clients are determined to challenge because they know it is a decision that cannot survive legal scrutiny”.
It is lawlessness without borders – MURIC
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has also described the appointment as illegal, illegitimate, unlawful, unconstitutional and the height of impunity.
MURIC made this declaration via a statement issued by the Chairman and the secretary of the organization in Oyo State, Barrister Abdulwaheed Lawal and Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade, respectively.
“This appointment is illegal, illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional. It is the height of impunity.
“It is surprising that Governor Seyi Makinde could ignore the recent letter written by the Oyo Kingmakers, expressing their displeasure with the Governor’s attempt to restart the selection process despite a pending court case. The new selection is therefore subjudice.
“Besides, Makinde has made a caricature of the tradition and custom of the ancient town of Oyo Alaafin with this appointment. It is lawlessness without borders,” the group stated..
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