A faction of the Oyo kingmakers, Oyo Mesi, has faulted the process that picked Lukman Gbadegesin from the Agunloye Ruling House as the next Alaafin.
On Monday, OsunDailyNG reported that a document had emerged revealing the identity of whom the Oyo Mesi, a group of kingmakers, selected as the new Alaafin of Oyo.
The Oyo Mesi, a group of kingmakers in Oyo State, according to the document, reportedly picked Lukman Gbadegesin from the Agunloye Ruling House and forwarded his name to the government last year.
In the document sighted by Premium Times, the name of the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi’s likely successor was sent to the Oyo State government on September 30, 2022.
The document, believed to be a proclamation document and a court judgment, was signed by the five living Oyo Mesi members and two warrant chiefs selected by the government to replace deceased Oyo Mesi members.
The proclamation reads, “We hereby proclaim Prince Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin the new Alaafin.”
However, the revelation of the document has stirred some controversies as another faction of the kingmaker group, Oyo Mesi, has faulted the process of selection.
According to this faction, it was due to the improper process that the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, had yet to approve the selected candidate.
Speaking to pressmen on Monday in Oyo town, the kingmakers, who were comprised of High Chief Agbaakin of Oyo, Asimiyu Atanda, High Chief Samu of Oyo, Lamidi Oyewale and Baale Ajagba, Odurinde Olusegun, said the process that led to the selection of a particular nominee was fraught with irregularities.
This faction of the kingmakers’ group led by High Chief Ayoola said it was wrong for Basorun to unilaterally co-opt warrant officers into the council without the consent of other lawmakers and the approval of the Local Government authority and the state governor.
They said, “There are five living members of the Oyo Mesi, and there are two warrant Chiefs eligible to nominate/recommend a nominee to the Governor of the state for appointment as the Alaafin. The kingmakers met only once in 2022 with the following members of the kingmakers in attendance, Basorun, Agbaakin, Samu, Akinniku, Lagunna (Oyomesi) joined by Aare Ago Basorun and Alapo (both warrant Chiefs unilaterally selected by Basorun without knowledge or consent of the Oyo Mesi).
“As a matter of fact, one of the contestants wrote a letter of protest questioning the inclusion of the warrant Chiefs in the kingmaker’s council. It was at the meeting of this ill constituted seven-member kingmakers first meeting that, a nominee for the office of the Alaafin was sent to the government for endorsement.
“Immediately after submitting our nomination, we got the government response that our nomination could not be accepted because we did not follow due process in coming to our resolution. The government directed that we should go back and do our work properly in accordance with the declaration. It was also discovered that one of the warrant Chiefs (handpicked by Basorun) (who participated in our earlier resolution was replaced with Alajagba).
“We were directed to meet and follow Due Process. Unfortunately, the Basorun, who is chairman and convener of our meetings, decided not to convene any meeting of the Oyo Mesi since late last year to the present moment. The new member of the kingmakers (Alajagba) has been denied the opportunity to participate in or contribute to the resolutions of the kingmakers since his official appointment in 2022 on account of the blunt refusal of the Basorun to comply with the directive of Government for Due Process in our task of recommending of a nominee to the government.
“About seven months ago, during an official visit to Oyo, the Governor held a meeting with the Oyo Mesi and specifically told us of the Government decision that Due Process must be followed in the nomination of a candidate for the Alaafin stool. He instructed us to do our duty freely because the government is only interested in the best for Oyo and Yorubaland.
“Regrettably, Basorun remained adamant, and no meeting of the kingmakers was convened to deliberate on the major issue of nomination or selection of candidate for the stool of the Alaafin. Recently, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs invited the kingmakers to a meeting in his office. Some of us honoured the invitation but Basorun and others refused to honour the invitation from the Commissioner.
“We are ready to meet with other kingmakers to perform our legitimate duties in accordance with our tradition, custom, and law of the land.”
Meanwhile, the faction who approved the selection of Lukman Gbadegesin is led by the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Akinade, who said that they are waiting on Makinde, for the inauguration of the new Alaafin.
He told The Punch that the name of the nominated prince had been forwarded to Governor Seyi Makinde, who had yet to announce the kingmakers’ choice.
