ALAAFIN STOOL:Don’t Appoint New Monarch Until Pending Court Case Is Resolved – Nine Atiba Royal Families Appeal To Makinde[Read Full Details]

Don’t Appoint New Alaafin Until Pending Court Case Is Resolved – Nine Atiba Royal Families Tell Makinde[Read Full Details]

Nine Atiba Royal Families Demand Equity, Justice In Selection Of Next Alaafin, Want Makinde To Suspend Process*

Eagle’s Sight News has confirmed from a recent update that the nine children of Atiba royal families, who are descendants of Alaafin Abiodun Atiba in Oyo town, have appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State not to approve the appointment of a new Alaafin of Oyo until the ongoing court case is resolved. Daily Post reports.

According to a full report gathered from Western Mirror, the Nine Children are demanding this from the Governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, to ensure what they described as ‘real’ due process prevail in order to guarantee equity, fairness, and inclusiveness in the selection of the next Alaafin of Oyo.

The nine children of the Atiba royal house who made this known at a press conference on Saturday May 6, held in Oyo disclosed that recommendations of a 1976 Commission of enquiry under the military regime has declared the eleven children of Atiba royal house as having equal rights to the throne.

These 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 nine Atiba royal house said the call on governor Makinde was necessitated by current exigencies especially with regards to recent development in some section of online and print media to the effect that an individual aspirant, contrary to the age-long tradition in Oyo, declared himself the Alaafin-elect against exatant customary laws and position of the state government.

The Spokesperson for the nine royal house, Prince Adesina Afolabi from Adeitan family, during his written address at the press conference disclosed that a case regarding the selection of the next Alaafin is still pending before the court stressing that any action taken before the determination and ruling 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.

Laying credence and historical background to why the Atiba royal house is demanding for equity, justice, and inclusiveness in the selection process, Prince Afolabi who disclosed that that the call on the governor was to ensure a new Alaafin emerges from among the remaining nine children of the Atiba royal house stated that Atiba had eleven wives which formed eleven royal family tree with each having equal right to ascend the highly revered Alaafin throne.

In his brief historical background to lay credence to their claims, 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.

According to him, the then Western State Government under a military regime led by 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 addin that the recommendation was upheld by the 1976 Commission of Enquiry.

He however, 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.

While commending the state government for the prompt reaction which nullified the illegality and false declaration of an individual as Alaafin-elect, he appealed to governor Makinde to use his good office to put a permanent end to what was termed undeserved and unwarranted marginalization.

The nine children of Atiba royal house also disclosed through their spokesperson, Prince Afolabi that the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters has been found to have a legally defective process which necessitates the need to uphold equity, and justice in order to avert a flawed process that would further perpetuate the marginalization of the nine remaining children from the royal house.

“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.”

Others present at the event include princes Remi Azeez, Lamola Olanite, Agboin Adelabu, Raji Adediran, Nureni Taiwo, Muftau Adejare Adesokan, Adesiyan, and Bello Rasheed.