I was in Canada when news of my selection broke – Alaafin

I was in Canada when news of my selection broke – Alaafin

CHIGOZIE AMADI

Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, the newly crowned Alaafin of Oyo, has recounted the surprising and humbling journey that led to his emergence as the monarch of the historic Yoruba kingdom.

Speaking in an interview published in the Nigerian Tribune on Saturday, the engineer-turned-king revealed that he never actively sought the throne and was not politically connected to anyone in power, including the governor who approved his selection.

“I swear to Almighty God, I didn’t know the governor. I never met him before. It was based on Ifa divination that I became the Alaafin of Oyo,” he said.

According to him, he was in Canada when he received the news of his selection.

“I was sleeping and when I woke up, I decided to just check my phone. The next thing, I received a message from my younger brother. The message he sent was a link… I clicked on the link and the headline read: ‘Governor Makinde approves Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade as Alaafin-elect’,” he narrated.

He said he initially declined the invitation to contest for the stool but changed his mind after persuasion from family members.

“I said I was not interested. But, after some persuasion, I gave in. Thank God I am here as the Alaafin and I am in Oyo to stay,” he said.

Oba Owoade expressed deep appreciation to Governor Seyi Makinde for respecting traditional processes and not allowing politics to influence the selection.

“I will commend the governor because he respected our culture and tradition,” he said.

He also dismissed rumours of heavy spending during the selection process, noting that he only gave out normal gifts and not large sums of money.

“It is not like giving millions – N5million, N10million or N20million. I’m telling you, I wasn’t involved in that,” he said.

Reflecting on his time in the traditional seclusion period known as Ipebi, the monarch described it as a period of intense learning and cultural immersion.

“I learnt a lot of lessons. It is a place of lifelong lessons. Traditional historians came around and they told me stories about Oyo and the politics of Oyo and Yorubaland in its entirety,” he said.

The monarch paid tribute to past Alaafins, particularly Alaafin Lamidi Adeyemi and Alaafin Ladigbolu I, whom he described as role models. He pledged to live up to the legacies of these rulers and deliver good governance to the people of Oyo.

“I believe that, with the people’s cooperation, we can cover miles because Agbajo owo ni a fi n so’ya, owo kan o gb’eru d’ori,” he said.

Oba Owoade concluded by calling for unity across religious and traditional lines, saying he would embrace all faiths.

“I embrace all religions. The Yoruba say Iwa l’esin. Your connection with your God matters more than the number of times you display religiosity,” he said.