…Alaafin absent As Gov Kicks Off Rotational Leadership Of Obas’ Council
Daud Olatunji
Governor Seyi Makinde on Thursday stirred fresh reactions across Oyo State as he named the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as the inaugural chairman of the newly constituted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, sidelining expectations surrounding the Alaafin of Oyo.
The development followed the formal inauguration of the reconstituted council at the House of Chiefs Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan, in line with the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs (Further Amendments) Law, 2025, recently passed by the state House of Assembly.
Under the new legal framework, the chairmanship of the council is to rotate every two years among the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the Soun of Ogbomosoland.
However, Makinde’s decision to commence the rotation with the Olubadan appeared to surprise many observers, especially as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, was conspicuously absent from the high-profile event.
Speaking at the inauguration, Makinde said the decision was deliberate and rooted in consultation and consensus among the foremost traditional rulers in the state.
“I called the monarchs proposed in the law and made it clear that the chairmanship of the council will rotate every two years,” the governor said. “If we fail to resolve issues and do what is right and proper for our people, then we have failed.”
He added that consultations were held with the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the Soun of Ogbomosoland before the agreement was reached to allow the Olubadan to take the first turn.
“On that basis, I hereby pronounce the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs inaugurated,” Makinde declared.
The absence of the Alaafin at the ceremony, however, cast a shadow over the event, fuelling quiet conversations within political and cultural circles about possible discontent over the implementation of the amended law.
Oba Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State, was installed as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland in September 2025, following the death of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin. His emergence as chairman places him at the helm of the council at a critical time, as the
Makinde administration pushes reforms aimed at redefining the role of traditional rulers in governance.
With the new rotational arrangement now in effect, attention is expected to shift to how the remaining two royal fathers will assume the chairmanship in the coming years, amid growing public interest in the balance of power within Oyo State’s traditional hierarchy.
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