Nine royal families from Oyo, known as the Atiba 9, declared they would not accept Prince Akeem Owoade’s appointment as the new Alaafin of Oyo.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde presented the Staff of Office to the Alaafin-designate on Monday, following a proclamation by the US-based Awise Agbaye, Professor Wande Abimbola, that Ifa picked him as the new Alaafin of Oyo.
The Atiba 9, however, faulted the development, alleging that Prince Owoade’s appointment as the Alaafin-designate was contrary to Oyo’s customs, culture, and tradition and that the process was also against the rule of law.
The nine royal families claiming the throne stated this in a press release on Tuesday issued by Prince Sina Afolabi of the Adeitan Royal Family on their behalf.
The other eight princes from the Atiba Royal Families included Prince Remi Azeez (Tella Okitipapa); Prince Lamola Olanite (Olanite); Prince Agboin Adelabu (Adelabu); Prince Raji Adeniran (Adeniran); Prince Nureni Taiwo (Tella Agbojulogun); Prince Muftau Adejare Adesokan (Adesokan Baba Idode): Prince Adesiyan (Adesiyan) and Prince Bello Rasheed (Abidekun).
They noted that they were not against the persons of Prince Akeem Owoade and Prince Lukman Gbadegesin, another contestant, as they have the legitimacy to aspire for the throne. Still, they insisted that the process that produced the former was not in tandem with the tradition of the ancient Oyo Town.
The Atiba 9 also disclosed that they were still pursuing the case they filed in court against the process that produced Owoade and Gbadegesin as the two contestants to the throne before the former emerged as the Alaafin-designate.
Prince Sina Afolabi, spokesperson of the Atiba Royal Families, stated that the process of producing Owoade was against the customs and traditions of the Oyo Royal Houses regarding the making and installation of the Alaafin.
He added that Governor Makinde, who has advocated due process, erred, declaring: “What the governor did was totally against the highly revered Alaafin Stool. His action has reduced the throne to an object of ridicule.
“It was expected of Governor Makinde, an apostle of due process, to have followed a just line of action and avoid reducing the Alaafin Stool or the Alaafin to an Oba Gbandu or Oba Yebuyebu (an ordinary Oba without honour).
“When the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, was to be made the oba, he entered Ipebi and everything was done in accordance with the custom and tradition of Ife before he was proclaimed as the Oonirisa.
“We don’t want our revered stool or the Alaafin to become an object of ridicule and mockery in the future. We don’t want him to be referred to as an oba that was anointed in Ibadan, precisely at the Office of the Governor. We don’t want people to refer to him as an Alaafin that did not enter Ipebi.
“The Alaafin of Oyo is a prominent and first-class traditional ruler in the entire Yorubaland. We, the Atiba 9, are against the process embarked upon by the state government to make Omooba Owoade the Alaafin. It should be stopped and the right thing must be done in appointing a new Alaafin.
“We don’t have anything personal against Omooba Owoade who was appointed as the Alaafin on Monday. He too made efforts to become the oba. We don’t have any personal issue with Omooba Ridwan Gbadegesin too.
“However, our grouse is against the process through which Owoade and Gbadegesin emerged as candidates to the Alaafin Stool. And what Governor Makinde had done by making Omooba Owoade the Alaafin is an attempt to ridicule the throne. We, the Atiba 9, don’t want it!
“We respect Professor Wande Abimbola, who consulted Ifa, but if he wants to be fair to all, he should come and consult Ifa at Ojude Ogun here in Oyo,” Prince Afolabi stated.
The Atiba 9 also charged the Oyo Mesi, under Basorun’s leadership, to amicably resolve any disagreements among themselves, noting that they are the only ones who can initiate selecting a new Alaafin.
“Whatever the grouse or disagreement between the Basorun and other members of the Oyo Mesi should be resolved. They should call themselves together and settle their crisis amicably before any process of installing a new Alaafin can be embarked upon,” Prince Afolabi added in the release.
He added that, with the current arrangement, any occupant of the Alaafin Stool would lose respect from other Yoruba obas, especially those who were supposed to be taking his instructions.
“If we should look at it critically as things stand now, some obas who are supposed to be taking instructions from the Alaafin will not be doing that; they will not respect him as they will see him as not being properly appointed. The Alaafin should not be reduced to an ordinary oba.
“These are our grouses. We are not against whoever is appointed as the Alaafin, but the process must be in accordance with our established custom, culture, tradition and the rule of law. Whoever emerged through such a process will be acceptable to us,” Prince Afolabi added in the release.
