Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has defended the selection of Prince Abimbola Owoade as the new Alaafin of Oyo, insisting that the process followed all the necessary legal and traditional steps.
Owoade’s selection and approval by the Oyo State Government have stirred controversy, especially among the Oyo kingmakers since the announcement on Friday.
The Oyo kingmakers, in a letter signed by their legal representative, Kunle Sobaloju, SAN, rejected the Owoade’s appointment.
They claimed that the recommended name for the new Alaafin was Prince Lukman Gbadegesin, not Owoade.
The kingmakers also argued that the Bashorun of Oyo, as head of the Oyomesi, was responsible for convening the meeting to select the new Alaafin, not the governor.
However, Makinde said he followed normal procedure to appoint Owoade as the new Alaafin.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said, the Oyomesi didn’t follow due process when they forwarded Gbadegesin’s name.
“There is a process for selection and approval. When the Oyomesi forwarded the name, the governor noted that the due process wasn’t followed, but this time, the process was adhered to.
Punch