Media aide of the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, Mr Bode Durojaye, has been described as being ignorant of the culture and tradition guiding the selection and appointment of a new Alaafin.
Aggrieved members of the 10 royal houses that are interested in becoming the next Alaafin stated this in a press statement in reaction to a report credited to Durojaye on the issue of the successor to the throne.
They claimed that Durojaye cannot act in the capacity he allocated to himself as he was a media aide to the immediate past Alaafin of Oyo and not to the Palace of Alaafin.
The media aide to the late Oba Adeyemi had, in a release, condemned the 10 royal houses in their quest for throne, claiming that the Agunloye Family, not Alaafin Atiba, is the next ruling house to occupy the Alaafin stool.
Durojaye, in the release which he ascribed to the Basorun of Oyo and Head of the Oyo Mesi, High Chief Akinade Yusuf Ayoola Layinka, condemned the press conference held in Oyo, last Monday, by the aggrieved royal houses.
The nine royal houses had, at the press conference, called on the Oyo State government and the Oyo Mesi to discontinue the process of selecting the new Alaafin, pending the determination of two ongoing court cases on the matter.
However, the media aide to the late Alaafin said the press conference “addressed by one Prince Afolabi Adesina (from Adeitan Family) on behalf of other 10 families was not only laughable, but neither here nor there.
“The issue raised by Prince Adesina was between the Alaafin Atiba and the Oyo State government, which has nothing to do with the Oyo Mesi, let alone stop them from going ahead with their ongoing interview for the shortlisted aspirants.
“The Head of Royal Families, Baba Iyaji, in conjunction with the Mogaji Agunloye Royal Family, Pa Prince Adeladan, had confirmed the ruling house for the next Alaafin stool to be the Agunloye family.
“Interested aspirants who are authentic members of the family had collected expression of interest forms and their names submitted to the Head of Oyo Mesi, High Chief Yussuf Akinade Ayoola Layinka, for the next step, which is the interview and in line with the due process.
“So, why is Prince Adesina crying wolves where there should be none, and keep misleading the unsuspecting members of the public?
“What is the justification for Prince Adeshina to seek for the cancellation of the ongoing interview, when, in actual fact, the Alaafin Atiba family is not entitled to occupy the seat of the next Paramount Ruler [sic]”.
Reacting however, the 10 aggrieved royal houses described Bode Durojaye as “one false image, an indigene of Awe area in one of the Oyo surbubs” who is ignorant of the culture and tradition guiding the process of appointing a new Alaafin.
“It is unknown to us and beyond human comprehension why Bode Durojaye, who is not a young man, is operating under a false image as the Director of Media and Publicity to an Alaafin that is yet to be appointed,” they stated.
The statement was jointly signed by Princes Makanjuola Adediran (Adediran-Ese Apata); Adebowale Adesiyan (Adesiyan); Adediwura Lamola (Olanite); Adetunji Adesokan (Adesokan Baba Idode); and Agboin Olayiwola (Adelabu Baba Ibadan).
Other signatories included Princes Ademola Adesina Afolabi (Adeitan); Remi Azeez (Tella Okitipapa)! Adekunle Bello (Iteade Abidekun); Prince Tella Agbojulogun (Agbojulogun); and Pa Tijani Adebayo Olawoyin Atiba (Olawoyin Family).
They said Durojaye, going by the release he ascribed to the Basorun of Oyo, wanted to portray the Oyo Mesi as not being familiar with historical facts and figures as regards Oyo.
“We are hereby drawing his attention to the fact that the selection of a new Alaafin is an internal issue between and among the princes of Oyo,” they stated.
They said the essence of the press conference they held last Monday was to urge the Oyo State government to respect and uphold the implementation of the outcomes of the various commissions of enquiries set up by past administrations in the state to look into the Chieftancy Law governing the appointment of the Alaaafin of Oyo.
“We hereby state that: More importantly, we have no issue with the Oyo Mesi and the Head of Oyo Princes, Baba Iyaji;
“The purported response and reaction of Chief Akinade Yusuf Ayoola Layinka, the Basorun of Oyo, to our press conference did not represent the true position of all members of the Oyo Mesi;
“This is so because the so-called statement by the Basorun of Oyo was not sign by all members of the Oyo Mesi;
“Prince Afolabi Adesina of the Adeitan Royal Family is our spokesperson and that he has the mandate to speak for all the nine royal families including, the Olawoyin Royal Family, too at any point in time;
“The statement released by Bode Durojaye is not only misleading, but it can cause chaos in the public, especially among the peace-loving people of Oyo because he is not familiar with historical facts and figures of Oyo people and their culture;
“The same Alaafin Atiba that beget Olujide Adelu Agunloye, begets Agboin Adelabu, Adesiyan, Tella Agbojulogun, Olawoyin, Alowolodu, Olanite, Adeitan, Tella Okitipapa, Adediran Ese Apata, Adesokan Baba Idode, Iteade Abidekun, among other male children;
“The entire Oyo and Yoruba people are not fools! In case Bode Durojaye is not aware, the people of Oyo are silently monitoring the ongoing events.
“They are deeply and solidly aware of the fact that all the remaining nine royal families, including Olawoyin within the Atiba Dynasty, are legitimately entitled to the noble throne of the Alaafin of Oyo!
“The people are tired of the fraudulent, conquest method and illegal way the nine royal houses have been sidelined and they are ready to stand up for justice in Oyo land!;
“What is also illegal is the despicable use of the social media platform of our late father, His Imperial Majesty Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, to attack his own flesh and blood (his cousins from the other Atiba Royal Houses).
“Why should we be even surprised? You, Bode Durojaye, are not a part of the Atiba Family. So, why should you care about the division you intended cause among the descendants of the Alaafin Atiba?,” the 10 royal houses asked in the statement.
