The long-awaited inauguration of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs by Governor Seyi Makinde on Thursday was overshadowed by fresh controversy, as the Alaafin of Oyo disputed the governor’s claim of a consensus on rotational leadership, just as the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, emerged as the council’s first chairman after 15 years of inactivity..
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, was conspicuously absent from the UK inauguration, which was held at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan.
At the inauguration, Governor Makinde explained that the chairmanship of the Oba council will be rotated among the Olubadan, Alaafin and the Soun of Ogbomoso.
According to him, it was an agreement reached at a meeting with the three first-class monarchs.
But in a swift statement on Thursday by his media aide, Bode Durojaye, the Alaafin countered the governor, saying there was no such meeting.
The statement read: “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 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.”
Thursday inauguration came amid rumours of a feud between the Alaafin and Oba Ladoja.
A viral video circulating on social media recently showed the Alaafin appearing not to rise to greet Oba Ladoja at a public function, while the Olubadan was also seen seemingly declining the Alaafin’s handshake.
But speaking with journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, Oba Ladoja debunked claims of any rift with Oba Owoade.
Speaking during the inauguration, Makinde said the chairmanship of the council would be rotational among the Olubadan of Ibadan, the Alaafin of Oyo, and the Soun of Ogbomosoland, with each monarch serving a two-year term.
According to the governor, the arrangement was designed to promote unity, harmony, and cooperation among traditional institutions in the state.
Makinde said, “No matter how hard an issue is, we will definitely resolve it. My three fathers, the Alaafin of Oyo, the kabieyesi Olubadan and the Kabieyesi Soun, and the agreement is that they will start the rotation with the Olubadan of Ibadan land.
“So, on that basis, I hereby pronounce the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs inaugurated, in person of Kabieyesi Olubadan of Ibadan land, for two years. The council, like the commissioner mentioned, last met like this in 2011. And we’ve been on this for a while. I mean, I’ve been here for close to seven years now.
“It will be seven years exactly in May 29 that this administration came into office. And the easiest thing for me to do, or for this administration to do, is to encourage a division. You know, when they say divide and rule, that is the easiest thing.
“But we know that some of the things that we have been able to achieve as an administration, they can be traced to our traditional institutions. You come to me, we discuss, we rub minds on what is happening in our various communities.
“I get most of that information from yourselves. And then we thought, is it not a shame that for 15 years running now we don’t have a Council of Obas and Chiefs? And if we don’t have a council, how do we play an active role as a state?
“At best, what we have will be an ad hoc arrangement, which is what has been happening since 2011. I’ve been here since 2019. So I encouraged the House of Assembly and also I consulted widely amongst the traditional rulers.
“I mean, if we look at this, this is House of Chiefs. We cannot see any improvement. We only come here for a few events. But our traditional institutions must be strengthened. The AC is not working because nobody is in charge. There’s no one telling us, calling the state government on this. We signed the law passed by the state House of Assembly, and I signed it on August 14, 2025.”
In his remarks, Oba Ladoja urged the public to have confidence in the council, describing the inauguration as the beginning of work rather than an achievement.
“The primary responsibility of the council is to ensure peace and safety across their domains while contributing to the continued progress of the state,” he said.
Ladoja stressed that public confidence in the council would grow after its first meeting, as residents would see that members were united in purpose rather than competition.
He said, “We appreciate the goodwill and congratulations we have received. This inauguration is not an achievement in itself; it marks the beginning of serious work. After our first meeting, people will begin to have confidence in us, because they will see that we are not in competition with one another. We are not here to fight or to pursue personal interests, so there is nothing to fear.
“Our sole concern is to ensure that our domains remain safe and peaceful, and that the state continues on the path of progress. We want the state to be a good place for everyone. That is the purpose of this council. This is not about any individual; it is about bringing people together and working collectively for the common good.”
The PUNCH
