The purported clearance of 58 princes from the Agunloye Royal Family to contest for the vacant Alaafin of Oyo Stool is a ruse that cannot stand the test of the law.
The Adeitan Royal Family stated this in a press release by its candidate for the throne, Prince Ademola Adesina Afolabi, in reaction to a report that 58 princes have been cleared and 61 others disqualified by the Oyo Mesi.
An online report indicated that the Oyo Mesi and the Head of the Princes, Baba Iyaji, had started the process of appointing a new Alaafin of Oyo. It stated that 58 princes, all from the Agunloye Royal House were cleared. 61 others from the remaining nine royal families who applied for the throne were disqualified.
However, Prince Adesina Afolabi said there was nothing of such. “Only the Baba Iyaji can commence the process of selecting a new Alaafin,” he said. Added that it must be in consonance with the government gazette of July 2001 which he said “superceded the 1961 Declaration on Alaafin Chieftaincy.”
Prince Afolabi challenged the writer(s) of the story on the purported clearance and disqualification to make public the names of the princes so cleared and those that were disqualified.
“My attention has been drawn to an online publication stating that 61 Oyo princes have been disqualified while 58 others were purportedly cleared by the kingmakers to contest for the vacant Stool of Alaafin of Oyo.
“The reported clearance of 58 princes and disqualification of 61 others who are contesting for the Stool of Alaafin of Oyo is a ruse and cannot stand the test of the law.
“It is unfortunate that the pseudo writer cannot display the names of the unfounded list of princes reportedly cleared by the head of the princes, Baba Iyaji. “They also could not show to the world where Baba Iyaji of Oyo signed the purported list,” Prince Afolabi added.
“You will recalled that, recently, I drew the attention of the acting governor and the Oyo State Government to a letter dated 9th of August, 2022.
“The Director of Administration in Atiba Local Government Area, Ayoola A.A, in the letter, claimed that he was directed by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and chairman of Atiba Local Government (Hon Kafila Olakojo).
“He said Baba Iyaji of Oyo should liaise with the Agunloye Ruling House to pick a crown prince and present him to Oyomesi through Chief Bashorun of Oyo because they relied on the defective 1961 Declaration.
“It was to this effect, without minding our public outcry, that the Director of Administration in Atiba Local Government Area pressured Baba Iyaji to summon the purported meeting with the Agunloye Ruling House. “The purported meeting was to identify their nominees among the 119 applicants for the Stool of Alafin.
“The outcome of this illegal meeting was what their anonymous writer tagged the disqualification of 61 Royal Princes of Alafin Atiba Descendants.
“However, on behalf of all Atiba descendants, I urge the public to disregard the rumour and throw the news into the dustbin of irrelevance.
“The only credible source to declare the list of qualified princes for the Alaafin Stool is the Baba Iyaji. He can only do this via the latest instrument of Law that was gazetted by the Oyo State government in July, 2001,” Afolabi said.
Prince Afolabi also called on the acting governor, Chief Bayo Lawal and Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, to call the agents of government to order. He urged the state government to “stop this shenanigans and allow for due process in selecting the new Alaafin.”
“We are also pleading with the Oyo State government to allow all matters in court to be concluded,” he said, “before taking any step of eligibility process for all the 119 princes who are contesting for the revered Stool of Alaafin of Oyo.
“As law-abiding citizens, we are looking forward to a better response from the government by killing this kangaroo screening that is attempting to eliminate the most qualified princes from the race to the stool of their forebears.”
