Ibadan, Nigeria
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has officially announced the appointment of Abimbola Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo.
This decision was made after extensive consultations and divinations, as well as the recommendations from the Oyomesi (the kingmakers).
Owoade’s appointment follows the passing of the previous Alaafin, Lamidi Adeyemi, who had reigned from 1970 until he died in 2022.
The announcement was shared in a statement by Dotun Oyelade, the state’s commissioner for information and orientation. Additionally, Ademola Ojo, the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, issued a formal statement on the matter.
The announcement of Abimbola Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo has put to rest the various socio-political and legal disputes that have arisen following the death of the former monarch, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, on April 22, 2022.
This statement emphasises that Owoade’s appointment has resolved the controversies surrounding the succession process that had followed the passing of the revered Alaafin.
“Hon. Ademola Ojo called on all citizens of Oyo State to join the Government in celebrating this momentous occasion and lend their support to the new Alaafin of Oyo,” the statement reads.
“The Commissioner prays that his reign will bring peace, prosperity and unity to the historic Oyo Kingdom.”
The announcement of Abimbola Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo came just a day after a faction of the Oyomesi, the traditional kingmakers, wrote to Governor Seyi Makinde, urging him to refrain from interfering in the selection process.
The faction, in a letter signed by their legal counsel, Kazeem Sobaloju, expressed concerns that the governor’s involvement violated an ongoing court case regarding succession.
The kingmakers in this faction maintained that they had already selected Lukman Gbadegesin as the Alaafin-elect. The faction included key members of the Oyomesi such as Yusuf Akinade (Basorun), Wakeel Akindele (Lagunna), Hamzat Yusuf (Akinniku), Wahab Oyetunji (standing in for Asipa), and Gbadebo Mufutau (standing in for Alapinni).
This disagreement highlights the tensions that have surrounded the Alaafin succession process in the past three years.
