Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday formally inaugurated the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs for the first time in 15 years, appointing the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as the council’s inaugural chairman.
The event took place at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan, but was marked by the absence of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade.
At the inauguration, Makinde announced that the leadership of the council would rotate among the Olubadan of Ibadan, the Alaafin of Oyo and the Soun of Ogbomoso, noting that the arrangement followed consultations with the three first-class monarchs.
However, the Alaafin, through a statement issued later on Thursday by his media aide, Bode Durojaye, rejected the governor’s assertion, insisting that no such meeting ever took place.
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’s inauguration followed widespread speculation of a strained relationship between the Alaafin and Oba Ladoja.
A video that recently circulated online showed the Alaafin appearing not to rise to greet Oba Ladoja at a public function, while the Olubadan was also seen apparently declining the Alaafin’s handshake.
Addressing journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, Oba Ladoja dismissed suggestions of any disagreement with Oba Owoade.
During the inauguration, Makinde reiterated that the rotational chairmanship would span two years for each monarch, describing the initiative as a move aimed at strengthening unity and collaboration 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 address, Oba Ladoja urged residents to judge the council by its actions, describing the inauguration as the start of responsibility rather than a celebration of success.
“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 added that confidence in the council would increase after its first sitting, stressing that the monarchs were united in purpose.
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.”
(PUNCH)
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