Alaafin’s Stool: Agunloye Royal Family Submits List Of 48 Contenders To Head Of Princes

Tribune Newspaper

AS the race to fill the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo gathers momentum, the Agunloye royal family on Thursday in Oyo, submitted list of 48 contenders to the head of royal princes, known as Baba Iyaji, Chief Afonja Mukaila. 

With the traditional process guarding the emergence of the new Alaafin, Afonja, as the head of royal princes in Oyo is saddled with the responsibility of forwarding the list of the contenders to the Oyomesi, the highest traditional council in the town. 

Two royal families, namely Alowolodu and Agunloye produce kings in Oyo. The last Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi came from Alowolodu royal family. 

Briefing journalists after holding a meeting to scrutinise the names of princes who submitted letter of intent to become the next Alaafin, the head (Mogaji) of Agunloye royal family, Oyo, Prince Samuel Ademola Adelana, said “From the list of 48 princes, we are submitting today to Baba Iyaji; we have a pool of contenders with pedigrees and rich experience to foster social and economic growth of Oyo town. 

He said: “The purpose of today’s meeting is to deliberate on the letters of interest and profile the list submitted to us by princes in our royal family, contesting for the vacant stool of the Alaafin of Oyo. 

“After our meeting here, we would take the letters to Baba Iyaji, the head of the royal princes in Oyo town. His position is to take the letters of interest of princes from royal families from the next royal family of Agunloye, entitled to produce the next Alaafin of Oyo. 

“In a nutshell, we threw the contest open for all the ruling branches in Agunloye royal family to bring forth princes who have interests to become the next Alaafin of Oyo. Today’s meeting is to carry out proper scrutiny of all the contenders before we take the list of contenders to Baba Iyaji, Chief Afonja Mukaila, who will in turn submit the list to the Oyomesi who are saddled with the responsibility of choosing the next Alaafin. 

“From Agure ruling house, we have two contestants; Oke Agbo Gbadegesin, 10 contestants; Ilaka Alawuwo, nine princes; Isale Oja, 14 contestants and Ladigbolu ruling house presented 13 contestants. The total is 48 contestants. We would now proceed to Baba Iyaji residence to present the list to him. 

“Today, we have closed the submission of letter of intent from any prince of Agunloye royal family, regarding the vacant stool of Alaafin. 

“From the names of princes submitted to Agunloye royal family, we disqualified three people from Ife Odan. We disqualified them after discovering that they are not the right persons to contest or show interest because they are not male princes. Some princes were also disqualified by their Mogajis. 

“The situation now is that by my position as the father of all contestants from Agunloye royal family, what we are concerned about is to pray that Almighty God should give us a capable person as the next Alaafin of Oyo, who will develop Oyo and attract investors to our town. 

“When the town witnesses steady socio-economic development, there would job opportunities for our children roaming about due to unemployment.”