These princes rejected the selection of Owoade as the Alaafin-designate.
The appointment of Owoade Abimbola as the new Alaafin of Oyo State has been met with fierce opposition from princes of nine royal families in Oyo, collectively known as the Atiba 9.
In a statement signed by Prince Sina Afolabi of the Adeitan royal family, the princes expressed their rejection of Abimbola's appointment, citing concerns over the governor's authority to make such a decision
Other Princes that made this position known included eight princes from the Atiba royal families namely Prince Remi Azeez (Tella Okitipapa); Prince Lamola Olanite (Olanite); Prince Agboin Adelabu (Adelabu); Prince Raji Adeniran (Adeniran); Prince Nureni Taiwo (Tella Agbojulogun); Prince Muftau Adejare Adesokan (Adesokan Baba Idode); Prince Adesiyan (Adesiyan); and Prince Bello Rasheed (Abidekun).
These princes rejected the selection of Owoade as the Alaafin-designate.
“What the governor did was totally against the highly revered Alaafin stool. His action has reduced the throne to an object of ridicule.
“It was expected of Governor Makinde, an apostle of due process, to have followed a just line of action and avoid reducing the Alaafin stool or the Alaafin to an Oba Gbandu or Oba Yebuyebu (an ordinary oba without honour).
“When the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, was to be made the oba, he entered Ipebi and everything was done in accordance with the custom and tradition of Ife before he was proclaimed as the Oonirisa,” the princes said.
According to them they “don’t want our revered stool or the Alaafin to become an object of ridicule and mockery in the future”.
“We don’t want him to be referred to as an oba that was anointed in Ibadan, precisely at the Office of the Governor. We don’t want people to refer to him as an Alaafin that did not enter Ipebi,” they said.
They said, “We don’t have anything personal against Omooba Owoade who was appointed as the Alaafin on Monday. He too made efforts to become the oba. We don’t have any personal issues with Omooba Lukman Gbadegesin either.
“However, our group is against the process through which Owoade and Gbadegesin emerged as candidates for the Alaafin stool.”
They accused Governor Makinde of making Omooba Owoade the Alaafin, describing it as “an attempt to ridicule the throne”.
The group called for a new process to be initiated to decide a new Alaafin for the state.
On Monday, Makinde threatened to prosecute persons who collected money to destabilise the traditional system of the state.
The controversy surrounding the appointment of the new Alaafin continues even as the staff of office has been presented to Owoade by the state governor.