The Palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has vehemently rejected claims by Governor Seyi Makinde that he was consulted on the introduction of a rotational chairmanship for the newly revived Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
In a statement issued on January 15, 2026 and signed by Bode Durojaiye, Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, the palace said it was compelled to respond after a statement credited to the governor suggested he had met with the three foremost traditional rulers in the state — the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the Soun of Ogbomosoland — on a rotational leadership arrangement. The Palace stressed that no such meeting ever took place and that the Alaafin did not endorse or make any categorical statement in support of rotational chairmanship.
“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 … on the rotational Chairmanship of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs,” the palace said. “There was no time that His Imperial Majesty … held any meeting with either the State Governor or any of the two traditional rulers mentioned above.”
Despite the palace’s denial, Governor Makinde proceeded on Thursday, January 15 to inaugurate the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs at the House of Chiefs Hall, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan. The ceremony marked the restoration of the council after more than a decade of inactivity.
At the event, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, was appointed as the inaugural chairman under the new leadership arrangement. Governor Makinde announced that the chairmanship would henceforth rotate every two years among the Olubadan, the Alaafin of Oyo and the Soun of Ogbomosoland — though the Alaafin was not present at the ceremony.
“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,” the palace added, noting that any suggestion that the monarch supported the rotational model was inaccurate.
The Alaafin’s conspicuous absence during the inauguration fueled widespread speculation and controversy, with some observers suggesting the monarch’s non-attendance was deliberate, given his rejection of the governor’s claim of consultation. Reports indicate the monarch opted not to attend the event where the Olubadan was installed as chairman.
Analysts say this development underscores continuing tensions over the leadership structure of the Council of Obas and Chiefs, especially after the Oyo State House of Assembly passed amendments to the law governing the council, effectively ending the Alaafin’s historical position as its permanent chairman and replacing it with a rotational system.
Traditionally, the Alaafin of Oyo held a ceremonial but symbolic role as the permanent head of the state’s traditional council, rooted in centuries of Yoruba history. The move to introduce a rotation among the three foremost monarchs was framed by the state government as a way to enhance unity and cooperation among traditional institutions, though not without criticism from some cultural stakeholders who argue that it undermines longstanding customs.
