The Oyo State government has denied circulating reports claiming that it has confirmed or recognized anyone as Oyo’s new Alaafin.
Alaafin’s throne of Oyo was vacated after the death of the 45th Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
The monarch died at the age of 83 last April, after 52 years on the throne.
Meanwhile, some speculation has spread that one of the candidates for the Alaafin d’Oyo seat, Lukman Gbadegesin, has been named the new monarch.
However, on behalf of the state government on Thursday, the Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, confirmed the process of selecting a new monarch was underway. Olatunbosun, in a conversation with Vanguard newspaper, urged people not to spread such rumors.
His words:
“As far as we are concerned, we must follow due process. The moment the process is completed, we will make it public.
“The process is ongoing, the state government has not approved or recognised anyone as the new Alaafin of Oyo.”
Ladigbolu warns against fake news.
Meanwhile, one of the contestants for the vacant Alaafin of Oyo stool, Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu, warned against fake news over the emergence of the Oyo monarch.
The retired Bishop, who spoke with Vanguard, said there was a need for caution over such publication.
He said:
“As a critical stakeholder in the contest for the stool, I am supposed to know. But as it is, nobody told me anything.
“I doubt if the news is true. More so, Makinde told the whole world last Tuesday during the swearing-in of Justice Iyabo Yerima as substantive Chief Judge of Oyo State, why the selection of the new Alaafin was delayed.
“So, we don’t understand what happened between Tuesday and Wednesday when a new Alaafin was allegedly selected.”
“The governor said he would rather have the selection of the monarch delayed for the sake of due process rather than record a repeat of a situation where a monarch is removed by the courts for failure to abide by due process.
“According to him, once due process is followed, the state would not fret if anyone goes to court to challenge the process of emergence of any monarch.”
