In the condolences message of His Excellency Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde to the immediate family of late Alaafin of Oyo, Alayeluwa Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Atanda Adeyemi of Alowolodu Ruling House and the Oyomesi in particular that Baba Adeyemi III has lived a fulfilled life in all ramifications. And the selection of new Alaafin should be done without further delay and should be rancour-free (emphasis mine). In the governor’s remark, “The governor appealed to the Oyo Mesi, the Council of Chiefs, and all those that would be involved in the selection of another Alaafin not to delay the process”. The governor’s statement reminds me of the delay that occurred in the selection of the immediate past Alaafin in the early 1970 after the demise of Oba Bello Gbadagesin Lawani-Ladigbolu II on 29th January 1968. Between January 1968 and November 1970, it was a ” thug of war” among the princes, stakeholders, and the kingmakers on who would succeed Oba Ladigbolu II, especially from Adeyemi Alowodu ruling house.
By the chieftaincy Law in the then western Nigeria, two ruling houses were identified under the Oyo South Division Alaafin chieftaincy declaration made in 1961under section 4(2) of the Chiefs Law Cap 19. The houses are; Agunloye and Adeyemi Alowolodu. With this arrangement, some royal families within the Alaafin Atiba Atobatele dynasty have been excluded from the royal families that are entitled to rule as Alaafin by the chieftaincy laws. This exclusion didn’t go down well with many of Atiba’s princes and princesses. The exclusion bitterness was displayed during the selection of Alaafin in the late 1960s.
There was this argument that Alaafin Atiba Atobatele was blessed with several wives whereby ten out of the wives were blessed with male children. The excluded male lineage wanted the Alaafin stool to be rotated among them not only between the Agunloye and Alowolodu. The ten male lineages are: Agunloye from Ayaba Ikuola, Tella Okiti Papa from Ayaba Rorolola, Adeyemi Alowolodu from Ayaba Moyosi, Adediran from Ayaba Abiara, Adelabu from Ayaba Opabiyi, Adesokan from Ayaba Arongbe, Adegbite from Ayaba Mosunmola, Adesiyan, Lannite from Ayaba Olosunde and Olunlade from Ayaba Oyegun. From this, it can be seen that it is only the male children of Ayabas Ikuola and Moyosi Atiba sharing the stool of late Alaafin Atiba Atobatele. To those aggrieved, it is contrary, _ultra vires_ to the native laws and customs as well as accepted principles of law of distribution of the heritage of a polygamous man.
In filling any vacant royal stool, it involves some stages which are nomination, appointment, and approval. The first stage is done or achieved at the ruling house level. The second stage is done by the kingmakers and the third stage is done by the host state government. In the case of Alaafin stool, the nomination stage is the ruling houses ( Agunloye and Adeyemi Alowolodu). The kingmakers are Chiefs Basorun (head), Ashipa, Agbakin, Alapinni, Lagunju, Shamu, and Akiniku. The approval is from the host state government.
The nomination of candidates to the kingmakers as the Alaafin-elect went wrong in the late 1960s. There was a misunderstanding between the sections of Adeyemi Alowolodu’s ruling house. The sections were four principal sons of Adeyemi Alowolodu. They are Adelakun, Ajuwon, Tella Kankansi, and Tella Aremoye. Some sections wanted the Alaafin-elect to emerge from their sections apart from the Adelakun branch that produced Late Oba Alhaji Adeniran Adeyemi II whose son was interested to become Alaafin. To them, it was a cheat if the nomination approval and appointment would favor the Adelakun branch despite other branches having literate candidates vying for the royal stool. Some of the candidates from the Adelakun branch were Princes Adebayo Adeyemi (illiterate) son to Epogingin, Lamidi Adeyemi son of Oba Adeniran (literate), and Sanda Oladepo Adeyemi son to Bello Oranlola (literate). Within the Adelakun branch, the two contestants wanted to emerge as Alaafin-elect in has much the last occupant of the stool came from Adeniran side. It wouldn’t be well if Oba Adeniran’s son is picked as Alaafin. It was stated that in 1944 when it was the turn of Alowolodu to produce a candidate for the stool after the demise of Ladigbolu I. A candidate from the Kankansi branch named Afonja Adinimole was nominated by the unanimous support of the entire family. But for one reason or the other to avoid undue family discord, Oba Adeniran Adeyemi II emerged and it was agreed that the next Alaafin would emerge from Tella Kankansi branch. In the long run, the candidate from the Adelakun branch of Alowolodu emerged as Alaafin Lamidi Adeyemi III in the late 1970 and given the staff of office by January 1971. Oba Adeyemi III reign ended on April 22nd, 2022, an epochal day in the history of Oyo, Yorubaland, and monarchical institution at large.
Now, who is the next Alaafin of Oyo from the Agunloye ruling house? Can one say families (Oladigbolu and others) within the Agunloye ruling have learned one or two lessons from the selection dispute of the late 1960s? Not only Agunloye ruling house, the Kingmakers, and the Oyo state government should be ready to be upright, trustworthy, vigilant, and painstaking in the nomination, appointment, and approval of the new Alaafin of Oyo.
I pray may the Olodumare and the Alale/Alaseku guide them all in choosing the best and most reliable and accepted Alaafin-elect.
Ire ooooo.
©Nurudeen O. Arogundade
