The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has countered a statement by Governor Seyi Makinde indication that he agreed endorsed rotating the chairmanship of the Oyo State Traditional Rulers Council among the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Soun of Ogbomoso and the Alaafin.
Makinde had, on Thursday, at the House of Chiefs, Oyo State House of Assembly Complex, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, inaugurated the Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as the Chairman of the Council, a position which he would occupy for the next two years.
Makinde said he consulted the three monarchs who would be rotating the Chairmanship position, including the Alaafin of Oyo, Olubadan of Ibadanland and Soun of Ogbomoso on who should occupy the seat for the next two years.
The Governor had said, the three monarchs agreed that the Olubadan should occupy the seat before it is rotated to others.
The Alaafin was, however, absent from the inauguration.
Reacting to the Governor’s statement, Oba Owoade, in a statement by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, said he did not tell the Governor or make a categorical statement on his endorsement of rotational Chairmanship among the three traditional rulers in the state
The statement reads in part: “The attention of the Alaafin’s Palace has been drawn to a statement credited to His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde that he consulted with the three traditional rulers in the State, the Alaafin, the Olubadan and the Soun of Ogbomoso on the rotational Chairmanship of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
“The Palace hereby wants to state clearly that there was no time that His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo , Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, held any meeting with either the State Governor or any of the two traditional rulers mentioned above.
“Also the Alaafin did not tell the Governor or make a categorical statement on his endorsement of rotational Chairmanship among the three traditional rulers in the state.
“The position of the Alaafin and the Entire Oyo Community on the general issue of the,State, Council of Obas,and Chiefs has been enunciated in a Memo delivered to His Excellency by the Oyo Council of Elders.”
