Don’t Sign that Rotational Power for Traditional Rulers into Law,.Oyo Abuja Forum Warns Makinde 

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has been urged by the Oyo Forum in Abuja to refrain from endorsing the recently drafted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs Amendment Bill, presented by the State House of Assembly.

The Forum expressed apprehension that the bill might undermine the cultural heritage and traditional values represented by the Alaafin of Oyo’s throne.

In a statement released on Thursday, jointly signed by Chairman Segun Owolabi and the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee, the Forum implored the Oyo State House of Assembly to proceed with caution in the process of amending the law governing the esteemed traditional stool.

The statement partially stated, “Recently, the Oyo State House of Assembly, pursuant to its mandate as outlined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to enact laws for good governance, peace, tranquility, fairness, justice, progress, unity, and the overall welfare of the state’s citizens, initiated amendments to the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs Law, CAP 37, of Oyo State, Bill, 2025.

“The bill aims to revise the Act that established the Council of Obas in Oyo State. Nonetheless, one particular clause among those proposed seems to compromise and endanger our treasured common cultural heritage and the significance of the Alaafin’s throne.

“Our distinguished political leaders and other leadership tiers in our state should be mindful that the Alaafin institution transcends cities, towns, and villages within contemporary Oyo State, encompassing the entirety of Yoruba land and race.

“The Alaafin institution should be venerated, esteemed, cherished, and celebrated by us in Oyo State, as proud custodians of this illustrious heritage, rather than being subjected to political disparagement under the guise of lawmaking, which, by implication, the proposed amendments appear to do.

“The Alaafin institution, as a historical entity and shared cultural heritage, should be safeguarded by modern governance laws, as practiced in other nations with similar heritage, including Western countries from which we adopted the democratic system.”

The statement noted that the proposed amendments to rotate the chairmanship of the Council of Obas are already inciting inter- and intra-community conflicts across cities, towns, and villages in Oyo State and beyond.

It further stated, “The animosity and discord this has introduced into the state’s body politic are better imagined than experienced. It could potentially precipitate prolonged crises and adversely affect our harmonious coexistence as a unified people.”

While acknowledging that it does not oppose the elevation of certain chiefs, the group criticized the initiative to rotate the council’s chairmanship, labeling it as an attempt to distort the people’s history and culture.

“We do not oppose the elevation of certain Obas as proposed in the bill. In fact, most of the current Obas in the Traditional Council of Oyo State were recommended for elevation to beaded crown status by the institution and influence of the Alaafin, subject to government ratification.

“However, amending the law that established the Council of Obas and Chiefs of Oyo State to permit a rotational chairmanship is a distortion of history and a disregard for our esteemed historical and cultural legacy,” it added.

The Forum, therefore, advised Governor Makinde to “pause and consider why this bill should not be signed into law as currently drafted, to avert a historical catastrophe that may lead to unforeseen consequences in the future.

“Your Excellency, without the past (Oyo Empire led by the Alaafin), the present would not be a reality (the current Oyo State, led by Governor Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde), and today’s reality will undoubtedly shape tomorrow.

“Please take a lesson from advanced democracies by employing modern governance tools to protect and preserve our cherished cultural heritage, such as the Alaafin institution, so that history will not record us among those who contributed to its demise.”