Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde on Saturday, declared that the processes that would lead to the emergency of the next Alaafin of Oyo will be strictly based on the Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration.
The governor, who stated this while speaking at the state burial ceremony organised for the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, said that the late monarch lived an impactful life.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that the state has lost an irreplaceable king and an encyclopaedia of Yoruba history and culture.
He said: “Today is a day of celebration for us as we are celebrating a life that was well-lived and impactful.
“Let me share one or two things with us on my relationship with the late Kabiyesi.
“People may feel we were not in good terms before his departure but that was not true. In 2015 when I was campaigning to be the governor of Oyo State, he was one of the few people that told me the truth.
“There was a particular night I came to meet him and he told me it won’t be possible for me to win that election because I didn’t have structure and trustworthy persons in each zone in the state.
“Truly, when election came, I lost but it is on record that Kabiyesi was one of those who told me truth.
“And when I became the governor, I came to meet Baba for some pieces of advice and he explained some certain things to me. I marvelled at how he got to know all those stories.
“So, Baba was an Encyclopaedia of our history and culture.
“I can only say that we have lost a king that is irreplaceable but we have to accept the fact that we cannot question God. “God was merciful to Baba because it is not easy to spend more than 50 years on the throne of your forefathers.
“So, it is celebration of life for us today.
“Let me also use this opportunity to let our people in Oyo know that the process to select a new Alaafin will not go beyond the Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration.
“I have seen people who came to me and said that the first Alaafin gave birth to about 13 children and that only two out of them were recognised and this is an opportunity to bring in the others, and I asked them if it is in the Declaration. But they said it is inside a declaration that was not signed.
“I told them a new Alaafin will be selected only through the Declaration that was signed.
“So, on behalf of the government and the people of Oyo State, I want to greet all of us.”
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