Two lawmakers staged a walkout on Tuesday as the Oyo State House of Assembly backtracked on its earlier proposal regarding the leadership of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs, opting instead for a rotational chairmanship.
The Assembly, which had come under fire for initially proposing a permanent chairmanship for the Alaafin of Oyo, passed a revised version of the bill during plenary.
The amended version now provides for rotational leadership between the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, and the Soun of Ogbomosoland.
According to the Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and State Honours, Bamidele Adeola, the bill resolved that “the chairmanship position should be rotated among the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the Soun of Ogbomosoland.”
The earlier version of the bill, which passed second reading the previous Thursday, had proposed making the Alaafin the permanent chairman. In that draft, the Olubadan and the Soun were to serve only when the Alaafin was unavailable.
Strong opposition from traditional rulers and stakeholders forced the Assembly to reconsider. The committee’s report recommended scrapping the permanent chairmanship clause and replacing it with a two-year rotational tenure shared among the three top monarchs.
Additionally, the new bill removed the provision that made the Alaafin the permanent presiding officer and proposed expanding the Council to include the 10 beaded-crown Ibadan Obas, along with the Samu and Agbakin titles.
This move has drawn mixed reactions. While some see the changes as progressive, others view them as politically motivated.
Lawmakers Olorunpoto Rahman (Oyo East) anOlud Gbenga Oyekola (Atiba) protested the reversal by walking out of the session.
Rahman, speaking to journalists, said, “We should be guided by the truth in whatever law we make. Everyone knows the position of the Alaafin. We are not out of touch with history.
“Alaafin is a paramount ruler. We should not make a law for political convenience. We should make a law that can stand the test of time. We should make a law that will align with history.
“We are not satisfied with the process by the committee. There was neither a public hearing nor stakeholder engagement. There is no instance where they invited anyone from Oyo to speak on this bill. I have serious issues with that.”
The Olugbon of Orile-Igbon’s palace also criticized the process. In a statement by the monarch’s Media Consultant, Bisi Oladele, the palace described the bill as a product of poor consultation.
“For such an important bill that seeks to revive and do justice to the council of obas and chiefs, the key stakeholders are the traditional rulers, who should have been adequately consulted before it was packaged. Besides, there should be a public hearing on the proposal.
“The actions on the bill so far clearly ignored the relevance of traditional rulers in Oyo State. It is openly based on political patronage,” the statement said.
The statement further alleged the amendment could deepen perceived marginalisation of other regions by Ibadan.
“Should the bill be passed, indigenes of Oyo, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa zones will again become second-class indigenes in their own state, just as Ibadan indigenes have been dominating other parts of the state politically.
“The city has produced governors since 1999, except for the late Adebayo Alao-Akala.
“While there is a need for the council to be revived and strengthened, it should not be skewed in favour of a particular zone to further dominate other zones.
“It should reflect fairness, justice, equity, and possess the capacity to promote peace among traditional rulers in the state.”
The Olugbon, Oba Francis Alao, also urged for the bill to be suspended to allow broader consultations. He dismissed claims by Ogbomoso leaders that their town had superior historical standing.
“We should not forget that the current palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso sits on the land that falls within Olugbon’s kingdom.
“Orile-Igbon borders with Ijeru, which is also more ancient than Ogbomoso.
“But demography has kept Ogbomoso in a better standing than other towns and communities in the zone.
“This is the reality all traditional rulers in the Ogbomoso zone accepted, and this accounts for why more ancient towns in the zone do not contend with the status accorded Soun in the Obas Council. We understand it as good for administrative and political convenience,” he said.
Oba Alao added that the Alaafin had historically ruled over a vast empire and deserved permanent chairmanship.
“Where is Soun’s kingdom? Where is Olubadan’s kingdom? Alaafin ran a huge kingdom with many other kingdoms under it.
“But we are putting the past behind us because the world is dynamic. Yet the honour must be there for the thrones that deserve it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ebedi Frontliners, Iseyin, also weighed in. In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Segun Fasasi, the group called for inclusion of the Aseyin of Iseyin as a co-chairman.
“Alaafin is representing the interests of four local government areas in Oyo town, Soun of Ogbomoso represents the interests of five local government areas while Olubadan represents the interests of 11 local government areas, leaving Oke-Ogun area with 10 local government areas with no co-chairmanship candidate,” the group said.
Despite criticisms, the group praised Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration for “the democratisation of the state’s chieftaincy laws,” calling the legislative process a step toward empowering traditional rulers.
