The selection of a new Alaafin of Oyo Kingdom has been marred by controversy and delays. Despite the kingmakers, known as the Oyo Mesi, presenting a choice to the government, the process has stalled due to legal disputes, causing anxiety in the kingdom, writes OLASUNKANMI AKINLOTAN
CHIGOZIE AMADI
April 22, 2024 makes it exactly two years since one of the most respected monarchical stools in Nigeria became vacant, following the demise of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi. The continuous delay in the installation of a new monarch has been raising dust, considering the sanctity of the stool in the traditional institution in the country.
Oba Adeyemi, the longest-serving Alaafin in the history of the Oyo kingdom, died in April 2022 at the age of 83, after a 51-year reign.
Upon his demise, efforts were made by the kingmakers, known as Oyo Mesi, to nominate and install a new monarch. The Alaafin’s stool rotates between two ruling houses in the Oyo Kingdom, the Agunloye and Alowolodu ruling houses. The immediate past king was from the latter, which means that the Agunloye ruling house will produce the next Alaafin.
According to the Oyo tradition and the Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration, which is the law governing the process of succession, the Baba Iyaji, who is the head of all the princes in Oyo, will present the list of interested princes to the Oyo Mesi and the list will be received by the head of the kingmakers, the Bashorun, after which he will convene a decision meeting after screening.
The decision meeting, to be witnessed by government officials, features a consensus or voting where there is a plurality of choices. After a decision has been made, the Bashorun will then communicate the kingmakers’ choice to the local government in writing.
According to multiple sources in the Oyo kingdom, who spoke with The PUNCH, the process has been completed since October 2022, when the Oyo Mesi chose a prince by consensus and forwarded the decision to the Oyo State Government.
For the Oyo Mesi, Prince Lukman Gbadegesin led in the selection, defeating 81 other contestants who expressed interest in the stool. Following the conclusion of the selection process, Gbadegesin’s name was sent to the government.
Three kingmakers — the Agbakin of Oyo, Samu of Oyo and Alajagba of Oyo — however, dissented out of the Oyo Mesi. The dissenting kingmakers noted that Gbadegesin’s selection was not properly done and based their grouse on the allegation that one of the seven kingmakers who voted during the process was not qualified to participate because he did so at the time of the vote as a warrant chief.
Statutorily, the Oyo Mesi, the recognised kingmakers in the Alaafin selection process, should be seven in number. There are five living members of the seven-man Oyomesi and they are: Yusuf Ayoola (Bashorun), Lamidi Oyewale (Samu), Asimiyu Atanda (Agbaakin), Hamzat Yusuf (Akinniku), and Wakeel Oyedepo (Lagunna). Two positions of Ashipa and Alapini are vacant, following the death of the previous chiefs.
However, two warrant officers, Gbadebo Mufutau (Alapo) and Wahab Oyetunji (Aare Ago), were appointed to meet the required conditions in the selection of the new king.
When contacted, the Baba Iyaji, Mukaila Afonja, told The PUNCH that he had done his part by submitting the names of the interested princes to the kingmakers.
He, however, faulted the kingmakers for transmuting the name of the successful candidate to the government without his knowledge.
The Baba Iyaji further noted that although a few of the kingmakers had reservations over the selection process, the concluding part of the process that would produce a new monarch was left to both the kingmakers and the state government.
“Yes, they have agreed on the next Alaafin but when they were going to submit his name, it was done without my knowledge and it is not supposed to be like that. Meanwhile, what we heard was that the name submitted had been petitioned and the governor then said they should go and reselect, to guard against the situation of dethronement.
“Despite the governor’s advice, the kingmakers repeated the same name. Whatever, I have handed over to the kingmakers,” Afonja said.
Two sources in the palace, who have good knowledge of the ongoing tussle, told our correspondent that Governor Seyi Makinde seemed not interested in the candidate presented by the kingmakers.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on palace issues, noted that the matter had generated anger in the community. He added that residents believe that the delay by the government was a tactic to subvert the will of the kingmakers.
“We are all watching and observing the situation, it will be an assault and the first of its kind for that matter for the government to meddle in issues concerning the enthronement of a new Alaafin. We have gathered a lot and everybody is patiently looking.
“Princes had shown interest, the kingmakers had voted, and a prince had been selected, so what is the problem? If the governor doesn’t have faith in the selection of the kingmakers, maybe another selection should be conducted amongst them, free of government influence,” the source stated.
The PUNCH reports that the kingmakers dragged the government to court, praying that the court restrained the state governor and his agents from nullifying the choice of Gbadegesin and “approving or recognising any other candidate” as the next Alaafin, “after a duly conducted process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo, in accordance with the native law, custom and Chieftaincy Declaration of Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy.”
The suit marked HOY/38/2023 before the Oyo State High Court suffered a setback on April 17 as the kingmakers’ prayers were not answered and the suit was struck out.
When contacted, the ex-Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Segun Olayiwola, stated that the state government was studying the court judgment and other issues on the matter and promised that very soon, the public would hear from the government.
The PUNCH had spoken with him before the recent cabinet shake-up, which moved Olayiwola to the Ministry of Establishment and Training.
Olayiwola said, “Just as you have heard of the judgment, so I also did. We are studying the judgment and you must have heard that it has also been appealed, so we are studying the development and very soon, you will be hearing from us.”
On the allegation that the Oyo State Governor was interested in who became the next Alaafin, Olayiwola said the person who made the statement “does not know what he is doing.”
He added, “Anybody alleging an interest does not know what he is saying. His Excellency, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, does not have any interest in whoever becomes the next Alaafin of Oyo and I, Olusegun Olayiwola, who is working with him on this matter, do not have any of such interest.
“Governor Makinde has no interest whatsoever, he is not married to an Oyo person and neither of his parents are related to Oyo in any form. Our concern is, and he has been saying it, that the stool of the Alaafin is important, a historical stool in the African setup and not just for the Yoruba race. As a result of that, the stool is not for sale. We are not going to toy with anything about that.”
He, however, assured the residents and watchers of the development to remain calm, adding that a transparent procedure that will produce the next Alaafin will soon commence.
“I can assure you that by the time we choose the next Alaafin, the whole world will know that no one had an interest in who became the next Alaafin. I can assure you that the governor has no candidate, I also don’t have a candidate, so who dare now has a candidate?
“We are just following the due process and we are of the opinion that the stool of the Alaafin is not for sale and that is it. Just wait and see what will happen very soon, because the government has no interest in anybody. What we want is to have a person that God has ordained and when the procedure starts, you will see that it is not about interest.”
Speaking on the crisis bedeviling the stool of the Alaafin, the head of the kingmakers, traditionally known as the Bashorun, High Chief Yusuf Ayoola, noted that the matters were in court but challenged Olayiwola to come forward with a report of any attempt to sell off the stool of the Alaafin.
“I can’t speak on the matter now because the matter is in court. But the commissioner, who said the stool of the Alaafin is not for sale, should come forward with any report or evidence showing that anyone is trying to sell the stool.”
