Members of nine royal families in Oyo town and descendants of Alaafin Abiodun Atiba weekend called on governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, not to approve the appointment of a new Alaafin until the case in court is resolved.
Addressing a press conference in Akinmoorin town Saturday, the 9 royal families through their spokesman, Prince Adesina Afolabi, asked the governor to wait until the ongoing court case over the selection of a new Alaafin is resolved as it will be unfair for Oyo state government and Governor Makinde to appoint a new Alaafin while the court case is still pending.
Prince Afolabi said the nine royal families including “Adeitan family, Olanite family, Tella Agbojulogun, Tella Okitipapa family, Adediran Ese Apata family, Adesokan Baba Idode family, Adesiyan family, Abidekun family and Adelabu Baba Ibadan family” have been marginalised in the appointment of the Alaafin over the years.
“We are using this opportunity to thank the governor for his commitment to promoting good governance, transparency, and accountability in our state. We urge him to continue to prioritise the well-being of the people and uphold the rule of law in all matters,” he said.
Prince Afolabi added, “In essence, the request is for the governor 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 the law. It would be unfair to appoint a new Alaafin while the court case is still pending. It is important that the governor recognises the significance of the traditional institution and ensure that a fair and just process is followed in selecting the next Alaafin.”
