Oyo Monarchy: Ruling Houses task Traditional Council on inclusiveness, fairness

Nine out of the eleven ruling houses in Oyo State, have called on the Oyo Traditional Council, also known as the Oyo Mesi, to apply fairness and inclusiveness in the process of selecting the next Alaafin of Oyo.

Prince Ahmed Adelabu, a member of the Adelabu Atiba Family, who spoke on behalf of the nine families, made the call while speaking with newsmen at the weekend, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Adelabu claimed that only the Alowolodu and Agunloye families had been taking turns at reigning in Oyo for centuries and had sidelined the other 9 ruling families, asserting that the aim of the agitation of the 9 families was not to antagonise anyone but to ensure everyone did the proper thing so that people’s rights were not denied them.

“What we are agitating for is nothing less than to allow all other Princes to be included in this chieftaincy matter. Our aim and objective is inclusiveness because they have marginalised us for centuries. So we want to leave a good legacy for our own children. So we implore the Bashorun and the Oyo Mesi, as a group, to live up to expectations, to be upright and make sure that they choose from the 9 other princes that have been marginalised for long.”

He urged the Oyo Mesi, which he said had a huge responsibility, to unite and use the opportunity of the death of the last Alaafin to do the right thing concerning the Alaafin stool, saying the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yussuf Ayoola Layinka, who is the regent, is in the position to correct the anomaly that had been going on for centuries.

The Oyo Prince noted that it is the Oyo Traditional Council that has the overall power when it comes to the selection of the Alaafin and the government cannot impose anything on it, charging the council to come together and with one voice right the centuries-long wrong that had embedded the selection of the Alaafin.

Adelabu affirmed that the issue on the ground is that the new Alaafin should come from one of the sidelined families, disclosing that the nine sidelined families were ready to present one candidate for the Alaafin stool because they were all united.

The eleven ruling families include: Adeitan, Lanite, Adesokan Baba Idode, Adelabu Baba Ibadan, Iteade Abidekun, Adediran-Ese Apata, Adesiyan, Tella Okitipapa, Agbojulogun, Agunloye and Alowolodu.

The Agunloye and Alowolodu ruling houses are said to have been taking turns to ascend the throne in the past years, marginalising the remaining nine ruling houses.

The past Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III came from the Alowolodu ruling house, while his predecessor, Oba Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II was from the Agunloye ruling house.

PIAK