Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has inaugurated the first Oyo State Council of Obas, formally ushering in a new phase in the administration of traditional institutions within the state.
At the inauguration, the Olubadan of Ibadanland was appointed as the chairman of the council for a two-year tenure. Under the new arrangement, leadership of the council is expected to rotate among the monarchs, a move the state government says is aimed at promoting inclusiveness among traditional rulers.
The development, however, has sparked strong objections from the Oyo Forum, Abuja, a body made up of prominent indigenes of Oyo State. The group raised concerns over the proposed amendment to the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs Law, warning that a rotational chairmanship could weaken the historical and cultural importance of the Alaafin of Oyo.
In a statement jointly signed by the Forum’s Chairman, Engineer Segun Owolabi, and its Media and Publicity Chairman, Ambassador Tunde Mustapha, the group urged Governor Makinde not to give approval to the bill currently awaiting his assent after being passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly.
The Forum stressed that the Alaafin stool goes beyond a local or political position, describing it as an institution rooted in pre-colonial history with deep spiritual and ancestral significance to the Yoruba people. According to the group, turning the chairmanship into a rotating role risks diminishing the respect and heritage attached to a stool that represents the identity and history of the Yoruba race.
The Forum warned that any action seen as reducing the status of the Alaafin could generate cultural tension and undermine long-standing traditions cherished across Yorubaland.
