Alaafin Snubs Ibadan Meeting As Yoruba Kings Decide Tinubu And Makinde’s 2027 Fate

Alaafin Snubs  Ibadan Meeting

 

OpenLife News reports that the long-running cold war at the very top of Yorubaland burst into the open again on Tuesday, as prominent first-class traditional rulers from across the South-West converged on Ibadan for a high-stakes closed-door meeting — with one glaring, deafening absence of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade I.

The meeting, held at the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, had in attendance the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; the host, Oba Ladoja; the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi; and the Elegushi of Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom, Oba Saheed Ademola.

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Also in attendance were the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, the Alake of Egbaland, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, the Aseyin of Iseyin, the Alago of Ago-Iwoye and other prominent monarchs,  a full house of Yoruba royalty, except for the stool that many consider the most powerful of them all.

The absence of the Alaafin has set tongues wagging, coming against the backdrop of the deep, unhealed fracture between the Ooni and the Alaafin over supremacy, seniority and who truly speaks for Yorubaland.

That the two most powerful thrones in Yoruba history cannot sit in the same room to decide the future of the region says everything about how divided the house has become.

A credible palace source confided in Vanguard that the monarchs would deliberate on a range of issues concerning the security, economic development and political future of the South-West, including preparations for the 2027 general elections, a contest that will directly determine the fate of President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

“The traditional rulers would deliberate on the various issues affecting the region. Some of the issues pencilled down for discussion include security, economic development and the 2027 general elections, among others,” the source said.

But with the Alaafin missing, and the Olubadan now hosting the Ooni and his allies in Ibadan, observers say the meeting is not just about 2027 — it is about who controls Yorubaland in 2027.

Between Alaafin and Ooni

Q: Why was the Alaafin of Oyo absent at the Yoruba rulers meeting in Ibadan?
A: No official reason was given for the Alaafin’s absence. The meeting was held at the Olubadan’s palace in Ibadan with the Ooni of Ife and other first-class rulers in attendance. His absence has fuelled speculation about the deepening fracture between the Ooni and the Alaafin.

Q: Who attended the Yoruba traditional rulers meeting in Ibadan?
A: The meeting was hosted by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and attended by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, the Deji of Akure, the Elegushi, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, the Alake of Egbaland, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, the Aseyin of Iseyin, the Alago of Ago-Iwoye and other prominent monarchs.

Q: What was discussed at the Yoruba kings meeting in Ibadan?
A: According to a palace source, the monarchs deliberated on security, economic development, the political future of the South-West, and preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Q: What is the fracture between the Ooni and Alaafin?
A: The Ooni of Ife and Alaafin of Oyo have a long-running rivalry over supremacy, seniority and who is the foremost traditional ruler and spokesman for Yorubaland. The Alaafin’s absence at a meeting attended by the Ooni in Ibadan has been seen as a sign of that deepening division.

Q: How does the meeting affect Tinubu and Makinde in 2027?
A: The monarchs discussed preparations for the 2027 general elections. President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde are key political figures whose 2027 fate will be shaped by South-West politics, security and the stance of traditional rulers in the region.