ALAAFIN STOOL : NINE ATIBA ROYAL FAMILIES DEMAND EQUITY, JUSTICE IN SELECTION OF NEXT ALAAFIN
Nine children of Atiba royal house appealed to Engr Seyi Makinde, Governor, Oyo state, to ensure that he right the age long injustice that has become the norm in selection of new Alaafin.
The nine children said the call became imperative so as to ensure that equity, fairness, and inclusiveness prevail in the selection of the next Alaafin of Oyo.
They made the call at a press conference in Oyo on Saturday, May 6.
The nine children of Atiba royal house include Adeitan family, Tella Okitipapa, Olanite, Adelabu, Adediran, Tella Agbojulogun, Adesokan Baba Idode, Adesiyan, and Abidekun family.
Recall that the Alaafin stool became vacant following the death of Late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, who reigned for 52 years, and passed on after a brief illness at a well advanced age of 83.
Consequently, the race to the highly exalted throne began in earnest with interested princes from each royal house jostling for the stool. Different schemings and powerplay has since taken the center stage with the manifestation of dramatic moves one of which was the self declaration as the Alaafin-elect by one of the aspirants, an incident that would become first of its kind in the history of ascension process to the throne.
The Spokesperson for the nine royal house, Prince Adesina Afolabi from Adeitan family said it is wrong to select a new Alaafin as a case regarding the selection of the next Alaafin is still pending before the court stressing that any action taken before a judicial pronouncement over the matter by the court will be prejudicial.
“In essence, the request is for the governor of Oyo state to refrain from taking any further action regarding the selection of a new Alaafin until the court case that has been filed against the Chieftaincy Declaration of the Alaafin is resolved. This is to ensure that the process of selecting a new Alaafin is conducted in a transparent and just manner as stipulated by law. It would be unfair to appoint a new Alaafin while the court case is still pending.” Prince Afolabi said.
Prince Afolabi, while hammering on why the next Alaafin should be selected from the remaining nine children of Atiba royal house said equity, justice, and inclusiveness demand that governor Makinde ensure a new Alaafin emerges from among them.
Justifying the stance of the nine children, Prince Afolabi stated that Atiba had eleven wives, which formed eleven royal family trees, with each having equal right to ascend the highly revered Alaafin throne.
Afolabi said an enduring peace had always reigned among children of Alaafin Atiba on matter of succession to the revered throne until 1961 when Alaafin Gbagbadesein of the Agunloye ruling house allegedly made a declaration which restricted ascension to throne to only two royal houses; Agunloye and Alowolodu royal houses thereby, marginalizing the remaining nine royal houses.
Prince Afolabi said, the then Western State military Government of Colonel Adeyinka Adebayo, constituted a panel of enquiry headed by Justice Ladeinde Adekunle, recommended contrary to Gbadegesin’s declaration, that all eleven children of Atiba have equal rights to the throne adding that the recommendation was upheld by the 1976 Commission of Enquiry.
He disclosed further that of the eleven royal house, only two; the Agunloye and Alowolodu families, have continued to produce all the Alaafins that had ascended the throne. He explained that no injustice could be more than the unwarranted marginalization and brazen denial of their ancestral right and heritage.
Prince Afolabi commended the state government for the prompt action which recently nullified the declaration of an individual as Alaafin-elect, he appealed to governor Makinde to use his good offices to put a permanent end to what was termed undeserved and unwarranted marginalization.
“As a government that values justice an equity, we implore the governor to act in the best interest of the people and uphold the findings of the competent Commission of enquiry into the stool of Alaafin. This will not only promote equality and fairness but also help to foster unity and inclusiveness in the community therefore, we call on the governor to make history by selecting the new king from among the marginalized Atiba children and setting a precedent for future selection process.”
The nine remaining children from Atiba Royal House
present at the press briefing are
1) Prince Sina Afolabi~Adeitan Family
2) Prince Remi Azeez~Tella Okitipapa Family
3) Prince Lamola Olanite~Olanite Family
4) Prince Agboin Adelabu~Adelabu Family
5) Prince Raji Adediran~Adediran Family
6) Prince Nureni Taiwo~Tella Agbojulogun Family
7) Prince Muftau Adejare Adesokan~Adesokan Baba Idode Family
8) Prince Adesiyan~Adesiyan Family
9) Prince Bello Rasheed~Abidekun Family
