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Solabomi Shoaga
Three days after the demise of the Alaafin of Oyo,late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Agunloye Ruling House has been reportedly told to produce the next Alaafin .
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the succession race for the stool of the Alaafin of Oyo will commence after the eighth-day fidau scheduled to hold at Durbar Stadium, Oyo, on Saturday.
PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that according to the Alaafin Ruling House Chieftaincy Declaration, the two ruling houses, representing the two prominent sons of Alaafin Atiba Atobatele, are the Alowolodu and the Agunloye ruling houses.
Meanwhile,the late Oba Adeyemi came from Alowolodu Ruling House and with his demise, the Agunloye ruling house is to produce the successor.
PLATFORM TIMES observed that by tradition, the head of Oyo Mesi, the kingmakers, who is the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Akinade Ayoola, has been asked to coordinate the activities leading to the emergence of another Alaafin.
However, Mr Seyi Makinde, the Oyo state governor during a condolence visit to the palace on Sunday, urged the Oyo Mesi to ensure the vacuum in the Alaafin stool is not allowed to linger.
The Olori Omooba of Oyoland and Ilaji of Oyoland Chief Mukaila Afonja stated that the door will be opened to all the interested princes from the Agunloye ruling house immediately after the fidau.
He added that interested princes are expected to file their application letters which will be scrutinised by the Omooba-in-council after which shortlisted candidates would be forwarded to the Oyo Mesi, who will consult the Ifa oracle for the final selection.
Chief Afonja faulted the announcement of the demise of Oba Adeyemi on social media, stating that tradition abhors such.
He disclosed that he was unaware of the demise of the king before he was called to perform the traditional rites
“The news had already gone viral online before I was called to perform the traditional rites. There is nothing anybody can do again,”
” The Aremo Kabiyesi was supposed to inform Ilaji before any other person while Ilaji in turn will follow Aremo to where Kabiyesi is laid to perform the traditional rites of dust-to-dust before breaking the news to the Oyo Mesi and the general public”.
