Months after the burial rites of the immediate past Alaafin Lamidi Adeyemi III was concluded, some stakeholders of the ancient town have begun to raise concern over the perceived foul play in the cause of choosing the next Alaafin. At a meeting of Oyomesi held on Wednesday 28th of September, 2022, the reported attempt by the duo of High Chiefs Basorun and Lagunna together with their controversial warrant Chiefs to force the adoption of a voting method to select the new Alaafin of Oyo on the trio of High Chiefs Agbaakin, Samu and Akinniku generated a brouhaha which brought Oyomesi meeting to an abrupt end. Many well-meaning Oyo sons and daughters are not pleased with the manner in which some members of Oyomesi are working to weaken the process of choosing the successor to the throne of Alaafin of Oyo which is unarguably the most referred traditional institution in Yorubaland. The Oyomesi had a meeting on Wednesday 28th September 2022 with five Oyomesi in attendance namely High Chiefs Basorun, Agbaakin, Samu, Lagunna and Akinniku together with two warrant Chiefs deliberately brought to the meeting by High Chief Basorun allegedly to vote for his anointed candidates. The warrant Chiefs brought by Basorun are Chief Arinago, a junior chief under Basorun of Oyo and Baale of Oke-Apo.
According to High Chief Akinniku of Oyo, the duo of High Chiefs Basorun of Oyo and Lagunna of Oyo reportedly canvassed for the adoption of a voting method to select the new Alaafin but the trio of High Chiefs Agbaakin, Samu and himself refused to be arm-twisted by a hidden plan of High Chiefs Basorun and Lagunna of Oyo. He added that though, the two methods of selection would be used, the trio of High Chiefs Agbaakin, Samu, and himself insisted that in Yorubaland, IFA oracle consultation is the conventional and traditional process of selecting a new Oba but the duo of High Chiefs Basorun and Lagunna together with their warrant Chiefs vehemently opposed the idea of using IFA oracle in choosing the new Alaafin of Oyo.
According to High Chief Agbaakin, the meeting came to an abrupt end following this disagreement among the Chiefs in attendance. In many public fora in which High Chief Basorun of Oyo had spoken, he had said unequivocally that Oyomesi will use IFA oracle to select the new Alaafin of Oyo but during Oyomesi meetings the duo of High Chiefs Basorun and Lagunna always acted against what they have said in public.
Many sons and daughters home and abroad are worried that the actions of the duo of High Chiefs Basorun of Oyo and Lagunna of Oyo may subjugate the cherished traditional process of using IFA oracle in selecting a new Alaafin of Oyo.
The general belief is that IFA oracle is usually consulted in selecting a new Oba but the perceived action of the duo of High Chiefs Basorun and Lagunna are suggesting contrary to the cherished traditional method of selecting a new Alaafin because of reasons best known to them.
It would be recalled that after the completion of the passage rite for the Late Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, the Oyomesi organized a two-week interview which started on Monday the 5th of September,2022 and ended on Thursday the 15th of September,2022. During the interview, a number of Princes were penciled down for the next stage of the selection process. It was a collective decision of the Oyomesi that they will re-convene on Tuesday 20th of September, 2022 to continue from where they had stopped on the 15th of September, 2022. To the chagrin of other members of Oyomesi, Basorun of Oyo High Chief Yusuf Akinade Ayoola announced on print media that Oyomesi had selected ten Princes that was never discussed at any statutory meeting of Oyomesi. The trio of High Chief Asinmiyu Atanda-Jimoh The Agbaakin of Oyo, High Chief Lamidi Oyewale Olayanju-The Samu of Oyo and High Chief Amusa Yusuf, The Akinniku of Oyo debunked the unauthorized and unilateral pronouncement by Basorun of Oyo that ten Princes had been shortlisted for the next stage selection then.
Stakeholders are more worried now that despite the brouhaha generated by this unilateral pronouncement by Basorun of Oyo, the same Basorun of Oyo without the consent of other members of Oyomesi unilaterally announced to the whole world in print media that all the 65 candidates that were interviewed will pass through IFA oracle consultation.
Lovers of Culture and Tradition of Oyo town home and abroad have appealled to great sons and daughters of Oyo Alaafin to wade in before our ever cherished tradition is bastardized because of the selfish ambition of a selected few saying that Evils triumph when righteous men do nothing.
They opined that great, reverred, respected, patriotic and people of high integrity like Prof. Wande Abimbola, Baba Elebuubon, etc should be invited as observers during the Ifa consultation so that the process would be seen to be transparent.
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