Makinde Rebukes Attempts at Interference with Alaafin Appointment Process

Governor Seyi Makinde of Ogo State has flayed those interfering with the appointment and confirmation of the Alafin of Oyo and warned them to desist.

Delivering a speech on the appointment of the new Alaafin, the traditional ruler of the Oyo Kingdom, following the passing of the late king, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, in April 2022, Makinde said there were processes and procedures for the replacement and regretted that some people were trying to politicise it.

The selection process of a new Alaafin had been tainted by controversy between the political leadership of the state and traditional institutions. Following the death of Oba Adeyemi, the Oyo Mesi, the traditional kingmakers, chose Prince Lukman Gbadegesin as the Alaafin-elect in September 2022, a choice later confirmed by the Oyo State High Court in December 2022.

This choice was later reversed when, in January 2025, Governor Makinde appointed Abimbola Owoade as the new Alaafin.

Makinde’s action generated a lot of furore as it overrode the choice made by the Oyo Mesi. It is reported that the governor consulted the Ifa oracle—a traditional Yoruba divination system—before making his decision and justified his action by referring to the advice of Professor Wande Abimbola, a leading Yoruba scholar.

Despite the governor’s defense, the Oyo Mesi rejected the offer on the premise that it defied traditional and legal procedures.

The kingmakers argued that their tradition of selecting the monarch was being diluted and that the selection should remain in the care of the traditional institution without meddling from politics.

The dispute was also compounded by opposition from other royal families. Nine prominent royal families, collectively known as the Atiba 9, protested Governor Makinde’s appointment as a breach of tradition and the law.

The families reaffirmed that the use of the Ifa oracle in making the decision was not legally binding and that the decision ought not to have been made in the absence of the traditional process.

When tensions escalated, the governor retaliated by vowing to take action against corruption in the selection process. He pledged to prosecute some of the kingmakers who may have accepted bribes during the selection process. “The Alaafin stool is sacred and is very dear to both the Oyo State and the Yoruba nation,” Governor Makinde stated. “In my administration, the selection process will be money-free.”

The Oyo Mesi replied, issuing the governor a 30-day ultimatum for reversing Owoade’s appointment. The kingmakers threatened legal action for not heeding their calls, accusing the governor of wrongful interference in the traditional mode of choice.

The ongoing dispute has fueled an even broader controversy over the status of traditional institutions and state government agencies in determining the selection of traditional rulers within Oyo State. As the dispute continues to rage, it raises to prominence the clashes among customary laws, legal processes, and political conveniences in selecting the new Alaafin.

As the scenario plays out, it remains to be seen how the governor and traditional leaders will navigate the politics of this high-stakes situation.