Oyo kingmakers reject Owoade’s appointment as Alaafin, King Makers others kick

Adenike Kaffi, Ibadan

Kingmakers in Oyo have described the appointment of Prince Abimbola Owoade as the new Alaafin by Governor Seyi Makinde as illegal and unlawful.

Five kingmakers from the town declared the appointment null and void in a statement on Friday, saying they did not recommend such a name to the state government.

They insisted that the only person they recommended as the next Alaafin is Prince Lukman Gbadegesin

“You will recall that on 30th September, 2022 at the meeting of the Kingmakers in accordance with the Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration, 1961, the Kingmakers appointed Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin as the Alaafin of Oyo by majority of the lawful votes of the Kingmakers.

“Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin having obtained the majority of votes of the Kingmakers present and voting was deemed appointed and his name was forwarded to your Excellency as the candidate appointed by the Kingmakers as Alaafin of Oyo for your approval which you refused to approved for no disclosed reason at all. The Kingmakers thereafter filed an action to stop your excellency from truncating the process, culminating in the present appeal at the court of appeal,” the letter read.
They noted that they were surprised that in the announcement by the government, it claimed that the selection was made afterwide consultation and divination.

“We must emphatically state that the Alaafin is not chosen by consultation or divination but in strict compliance with the Registered Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration of 1967, which codifies the native law and custom governing the selection process for the vacant stool of the Alaafin.

“Any meeting of few kingmakers and emergency warrant chiefs held at the Governor’s office or elsewhere at the instance of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, to select the preferred candidate of the Governor as the new Alaafin is not only contrary to the native law and custom and Chieftaincy Declaration of Alafin of Oyo Chieftaincy but unlawful, illegal, invalid, null and void.

“It is not the duty of the Governor to convene the meeting of few kingmakers and emergency warrant chiefs to select or appoint a new Alaafin on the 9th of January, 2025 and hurriedly approve the appointment on the 10th of January, 2025,” they said

MURIC rejects Gov Makinde’s choice of Alaafin, says it’s height of impunity

Meanwhile, The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described the appointment as illegal, illegitimate, unlawful, unconstitutional and the height of impunity.

The Islamic human rights organization reacted a few hours after the announcement on Friday, 10th January, 2025 via a press statement issued by the Chairman and secretary of the organization in Oyo State, Barrister Abdulwaheed Lawal and Amb. Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade respectively.

They said:

“The government of Oyo State has announced the appointment of Prince Abimbola Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo. The Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, made the announcement today, Friday, 10th January, 2025 as reported by multiple media sources.

“This appointment is illegal, illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional. It is the height of impunity.

“It is surprising that Governor Seyi Makinde could ignore the recent letter written by the Oyo Kingmakers, expressing their displeasure with the Governor’s attempt to restart the selection process despite a pending court case. The new selection is therefore subjudice.

“Besides, Makinde has made a caricature of the tradition and custom of the ancient town of Oyo Alaafin with this appointment. It is lawlessness without borders.”

YORUBA MUSLIMS KICK AS MAKINDE APPOINT YET ANOTHER RADICAL CHRISTIAN PENTECOSTAL AS ALAAFIN OF OYO.

Yoruba Muslims under the aegis of Yoruba Muslims for Freedom (YMF) has condemned Seyi Makinde’s christianisation agenda. In a press release made available to newsmen, the spokesman of YMF, Mr Lateef Akinwale uncovered the agenda of replacing all Muslim Yoruba Monarchs with RCCG Pentecostal Christians.

The spokesman gave a list of 25 monarchs to show the trend. He said the last 25 Muslim monarchs that died on throne were all replaced by RCCG Radical Pentecostal Christians.

“Muslims have been marginalised in Yoruba land for too long. We can no longer remain silent in the face of this shameless oppression, marginalisation and the denial of our rights to freedom of worship. We reject the forceful christianisation of Muslims by denying them jobs, scholarships and political appointments unless they convert ”

“Yoruba Muslims make up 70% of the population of the South West but as we speak there is no a single Yoruba Muslim as a Governor. 5 of the 6 deputy governors are Christians. 80% of Ministers are Christians, 92% of State Commissioners are Christians. We cannot accept this arrangement ” he added

“This agenda to clear Islam is even more paramount in the Muslim Majority state of Oyo and Osun. Governor Seyi Makinde is hell bent on removing even the smallest trace of Islam in Oyo. His recent insistence that Muslims do not have the right to practice their religion (Shari’a) is a violation of the Nigerian constitution ”

“Since he came into office he replaced Muslim monarchs with Christian pentecostals. It started with the Muslim-majority Ogbomoso, then Iseyin and finally now to Oyo. We condemn this christianisation agenda in it’s totality”

“Yoruba Muslims must wake up and take back their country. Minority rule is alien to democracy. These monarchs are oppressing Muslims within their domain, sometimes even having the audacity to determine who will be an Imam and who will not be. Islam must be separated from traditional states in Yoruba land”.

“We will mobilise Muslims in 2027 to make sure that Muslims vote for Muslims, and Christians vote for their Christians. No Christian will ever rule the Muslim Majority states of Osun, Oyo, and Lagos. Yoruba Muslims must be free. I assure you not even a christian councillor, chairman, rep or Senate will come out again from Muslim-majority domains. We must do everything to recover our thrones given to Pentecostal Christians. Enough is enough” he added

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has decided to dissolve his cabinet to make way for new individuals in his administration.

Eno made the announcement during a valedictory session at the Executive Chamber in Uyo on Friday.

The governor clarified that all the commissioners had done their jobs well, but the move was necessary to bring in a fresh set of professionals for the next phase of governance.

A dinner in honour of the outgoing members will take place at the Government House later in the evening.

Many of the commissioners had served for nearly a decade, with some holding positions under the previous administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel.

Eno mentioned that their retention earlier was meant to acknowledge their hard work, as they did not receive adequate recognition when the previous government ended in May 2023.