The Pathfinder
Wednesday December 24, 2025
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The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has firmly declared that only the Alaafin has the exclusive authority to confer chieftaincy titles bearing the name “Yorubaland.”
The monarch made this pronouncement on Sunday at the Aganju Forecourt of the palace during the installation of Senator Abdul-Aziz Yari as the Obaloyin of Yorubaland and Barrister Seyi Tinubu as the Okanlomo of Yorubaland.
Oba Owoade stressed that chieftaincy in Yoruba tradition is not a ceremonial decoration but a serious duty bound by history and responsibility.
He asserted that the throne of Oyo has historically served as the central coordinating authority for the Yoruba people, a role acknowledged during the colonial era and upheld in post-independence governance. Titles that incorporate “Yorubaland,” he explained, are collective honours representing the entire Yoruba nation, not a single locality, and must therefore be issued by an institution whose legitimacy and reach span the region.
“We are gathered here today for a purpose that goes beyond celebration. We are here to witness history and to place responsibility where tradition has long placed it,” the Alaafin stated. “Chieftaincy, in our culture, is not an act of favour. It is not decoration. It is duty, conferred only when history, authority, and responsibility align.”
The monarch anchored his authority in historical, administrative, and legal precedents. He noted that colonial records, post-independence councils, scholarly works, and a ruling by the Supreme Court of Nigeria have all affirmed this singular authority of the Oyo throne.
“From the earliest organisation of the Yoruba people, authority was never vague. Our forebears understood structure. This understanding gave Yorubaland stability long before modern governance arrived,” he said. “The throne of Oyo emerged in that history as a coordinating authority, by responsibility.”
He detailed that during the colonial period, the Oyo Province was the largest in Southern Nigeria, covering a vast territory that reflected its recognised leadership. “This history explains why certain chieftaincy titles are different in nature. Titles that bear the name ‘Yorubaland’ are not local titles. They are collective titles,” Oba Owoade emphasised.
Concluding with a tone of finality, the Alaafin stated: “Today, I do not speak to provoke debate. I speak to state order. Among the Yoruba, authority has never been a matter of assumption or convenience… The law is clear. History is settled. Chieftaincy titles that bear the name Yorubaland… fall under a singular, established authority. That authority is the throne of Oyo.”
He described the newly conferred titles as positions of trust requiring courage, loyalty, and service, urging the titleholders to serve with humility and to use their honours to foster unity and dignity across Yorubaland.
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