Alaafin stool: kingmakers divided, reject shortlisted candidates

Alaafin stool: Kingmakers leave decision to oracle

Kingmakers of the Oyo Empire are divided over the choice of the recently shortlisted 10 contestants for the Alaafin of Oyo stool.

Punch Metro reported that the head of the Oyo Mesi, who is also the Basorun of Oyo, High Chief Yussuf Ayoola, disclosed that 10 of 54 contestants have been shortlisted.

In a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo, Bode Durojaiye, High Chief Ayoola said the next step would be to consult Ifa (oracle) to select the next Alaafin among the shortlisted candidate.

However, the Iba Samu of Oyo, High Chief Lamidi Olayanju, when contacted, told The Punch that he knew nothing about the shortlisted candidates.

Olayanju said, “I called Basorun and he told me that he was the one behind the news that 10 persons had been shortlisted. Four of us know nothing about it. When we completed the interview on Thursday, we all agreed that we would meet next Tuesday to do that but hearing that 10 persons had been shortlisted on the radio is news to me. I called Basorun and he told me he authored the news.

“I heard it on the radio that we had shortlisted 10 but I am telling you I am not part of that and I called four of us and they said they did not know anything about it. Agbaakin (High Chief Asinmiyu) told me he was not part of the decision to pick 10 contestants; Akinniku (High Chief Amusa Yusuf) also told me that he was not part of it; Alapini ( High Chief Rasheed Sheu)
is indisposed.”

Asked if the rest of the kingmakers would abide by the shortlisted contestants, he said, “Can you, yourself, abide by such a decision? We don’t know anything about it, we didn’t know when he picked them, so, we can’t abide by such.

“If we agree with him and the remaining contestants drag all of us to court, how are we going to defend what we were not part of?”

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