Chairmanship rotation of Oyo Council of Obas: Makinde Should Watch It By Wumi Akintide

What Governor Seyi Makinde and his State House of Assembly are conspiring and colluding to do to the new Alaafin by signing into Law the Chairmanship rotation of Oyo Council of Obas between the Alaafin , the Olubadan and the Soun of Ogbomosho is going to have some predictable and recurring ramifications in the current Osun State, Ekiti State, and even in Edo, Delta and other states of Nigeria as time goes by. Mark my word.

The Asagba of Asaba. The Orodje of Okpe, the Obi of Agbor and the Olu Atunwase of Warri may now have to rotate the chairmanship of the Delta State Council of Obas if they are not already doing it.

You could also have some prominent royal fathers in Edo State, one day competing with the great OmoN’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo the current Oba Ewuare the Second of Benin on the prompting or recommendations of Politicians. That is where we are headed in Nigeria if the trend in Oyo State today is ultimately upheld.

If it could happen in Oyo State, it surely could predictably happen next in Osun State where some royal fathers are going to compete and fight tooth and nail to rotate the chairmanship with the Oonirisa and Arole Oodua by citing what has just occurred in Oyo State.

There is never going to be an end to such conspiracies and agitations by fellow Obas most especially in very cosmopolitan towns with densely populated towns like Ibadan and Ogbomosho and towns like Ilesha, Ede and Oshogbo and Iwo, and Ila Orangun to mention a few.

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The trend is already ongoing in Ondo State and Ekiti. You should all not be surprised if the current Osolo of Isolo Quarters or the current Iralepo of Isinkan in Akure, one day submit that they want to be counted among the royal fathers who now rotate as Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas because they are in the good book of a State Governor like happened when late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had no qualms upgrading the Iralepo and the Osolo of Akure from High Chiefs in Akure to Grade B or Grade D Obas in Akure.

Nothing is written in stone in Nigeria. In one fell swoop the late Oonirisa-in- Council Oba Sijuade Olubuse had upgraded 13 Quarter Chiefs at Ile Ife to full fledged Obas in his domain.

Don’t be surprised if one of those 13 Obas want to be among the Obas who would rotate chairmanship of Osun State Council of Obas with the Oonirisa if they have the backing of future Osun State Governor. Anything can happen in Nigeria.

The Oore of Otun used to be the most senior Oba in Ekiti before but today the chairmanship of the Ekiti Ciuncil of Obas is being rotated among smaller Obas with relatively smaller towns like Itaji, and Ishan where Governor Fayemi comes from and based on the pressure and manipulations by powerful politicians and Party Big Whigs.

What is happening to the Alaafin today is going to be an unstoppable trend that is going to spread to many other states in a situation where royal fathers and their powers are not clearly defined by the Nigerian Constitution and where those royal fathers are now placed under the direct control of Chairmen of Local Government talk less of State Governors.

The victim today is the new Alaafin of Oyo. It could be the turn of the Oonirisa tomorrow or even the Oba of Benin or the Obi of Onitsha or the Jaja of Opobo to mention just a few in the Southern half of Nigeria.

The North is less susceptible to that because no royal father in Sokoto State would dare say he wants to rotate chairmanship with the Almighty Sultan or the Almighty Emir of Kano, or Emir of Gwandu or the Shehu of Bornu or the Tor Tiv or the Etsu Nupe or the Ohinoyi, the Attah of Igbira Land to mention a few.

It is a prediction!

I rest my case.

Dr. Wumi Akintide.