On January 12, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde and indeed the organising committee of the 2026 edition of the annual Inter-Faith Service, held at the space behind the House of Assembly, Secretariat, Ibadan, might not have envisaged the one-off drama which played out between the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade and the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja.
They would not expect a gathering, put together to offer prayers to usher in the new year, to serve as a stage for that theatre wherein the seated Alaafin stretched out his hand to exchange greetings with the just arriving Olubadan, while the latter snubbed the pleasantry before lenses of cameras, spontaneously igniting more dramatic public reactions which snowballed to a war of words between supporters of the two sides.
TheTabloid.net gathered that the Alaafin might have played into the hands of his troop of critics who had since not hidden their aversion to his disposition to the Olubadan’s stool due to their historical ties dating to the 18th Century when Ibadan served as the Alaafin’s military arm through which he prosecuted wars and made peace.
A culture analyst, who pleaded for anonymity, opined that before the Alaafin departed his palace, he should have anticipated the terrain he was going to and behaved smartly, like the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi would have done on his arrival into the midst of his hosts.
The analyst said Oba Adeyemi, in his lifetime, studied and handled the Ibadans with both intelligence and wisdom, understanding that they were no longer comfortable with and proud of their historical status to Oyo in this era of contemporary governance when towns are autonomous of one another, in terms of identity, influence and prestige.
He maintained that Oba Adeyemi’s intelligence gathering mechanisms guided him in his relationship with every Olubadan, Ibadan elite, Ibadan social group and individual who had reasons to come in contact with him, either in Oyo or elsewhere.
It was learnt that till their deaths in 2008 and 2012 respectively, late Ibadan politician, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola had a strong alliance with Oba Adeyemi such that after their departure, the monarch would not stop making reference to their bond. Same goes to his friendship with a Second Republic Governor of Oyo State, Dr Omololu Olunloyo who passed away in April 2025. The Alaafin and Olunloyo also enjoyed a cordial relationship till death did them apart.
The analyst further said that Oba Adeyemi was always on top of body language of Ibadan people so prodigously that he would scarcely be faulted in his decisions or reactions to issues concerning Oyo and Ibadan.
“Baba (Alaafin) had property in Ibadan and visited his GRA residence almost every week. Yet, when there was a need to make a reference to history of Oyo and Ibadan, he wouldn’t miss a word in reminding Ibadan his key role in the upgrading of the Olubadan as a beaded crown king by the military administration of Governor David Jemibewon in 1976,” he noted.
Oba Adeyemi, in his book– “The Alaafin of Oyo: Power of Courage and Convinction”–which he published in 2018 commemorative of his 80th birthday, stressed the supreme authority of his stool with reference to a Government Gazette No XVII of September 24, 1904 (Lagos Colony), entitled “Yorubaland Jurisdiction Ordinance” 1904.
Relying on the Gazette signed by CH Harley Moseley, Mosaderin, Baale Ibadan; Ada, Otun Baale; Olafa, Osi Olubadan; Oyebode, Asipa Baale; Irefin, Ekerin Baale; Akinale, Maye Baale; Obelano, Abese Baale; Apampa, Balogun; Bamigbehin, Otun Balogun; Akintayo, Osi Balogun; Shittu, Asipa Balogun; Suberu, Ekerin Balogun; and Ola, Maye Balogun, the Alaafin submitted that the Gazette “is one of the many imperishable legacies which Alaafin of Oyo and Head of Yorubaland bequeathed to Yorubaland.”
He concluded that “the clamour for equality and/or legless claim of superiority of any traditional ruler in this part of the country, particularly in the present day Oyo state, to the Alaafin is nothing but an attempt to turn the Yoruba race into a laughing stock in the eyes of the comity of nations.”
Oba Owoade, since his ascension to the throne in January 2025, is said to have stuck to this history; he protects and promotes it at every slight opportunity–either publicly or privately, without minding whose ox is gored and his young reign, thereby earning Ibadan indigenes’ condemnation and outright attack on the premise that the days of Oyo Empire are long dead and interred.
The Ibadans were, thus, specially delighted by the Oyo State House of Assembly’s ammendment of Clause 5, Section 28 of the Chieftancy Law which was signed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on August 14, 2025, consequently making the Council chairmanship rotational among the Alaafin, the Soun of Ogbomoso, and the Olubadan, in contrast to what obtained in the past when the Alaafin was the permanent chairman of the council until late Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala’s admnistration approved its ammendment in favour of rotation, an act which the Alaafin challenged in court in 2011.
Almost immediately after the news of the Agodi episode broke and filled the airspace, the traditional stakeholders comprising monarchs, Mogajis, Baales, and prominent sons and daughters of Ibadanland, rose, as usual in defence of their monarch, warning the Alaafin against any form of disrespect towards the Olubadan and the Ibadan traditional institution.
They described the Alaafin’s action as a gross insult to the Olubadan and the entire Ibadan traditional institution, stressing that any further disrespect from the Alaafin would be met with a strong and decisive response from Ibadan traditional stakeholders, including Kabiyesis, chiefs, Mogajis and Baales.
In a statement jointly signed by the President of Ibadan Mogajis, Mogaji Asimiyu Ariori, and the Coordinator of the Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI), Mogaji Dr. Nurudeen Akinade, the action of Oba Owoade was described as an embarrassment of the highest order.
The statement read in part:
“The continuous disrespect of the Alaafin towards the stool of Olubadan and Ibadan traditional institution is becoming intolerable. If Governor Seyi Makinde fails to caution him and Ibadan people are pushed into reacting, the Alaafin will regret his actions.
“We have records of repeated uncultured behaviour towards Ibadan traditional stools. This must stop. Ibadanland will not tolerate further aggravation.
“Ibadan people are not cowards. We are fearless, but we have chosen restraint in the interest of peace.
“Our culture and tradition are sacred. Anything capable of ridiculing them will be firmly resisted.
“The Alaafin cannot come into our territory, sit down, and stretch his hand to greet our highly revered 82-year-old Olubadan.
“Oba Ladoja is a former Senator, former Governor, an international figure, and a successful businessman.
“The Alaafin may choose not to greet the Olubadan, but stretching his hand while seated is an insult to the entire Ibadan traditional institution. Ibadanland has never been subordinate to the Alaafin.”
The blue blood running in her veins could not allow Miss Adedoja Adeyemi, daughter of late Oba Adeyemi, to turn a blind eye to the arrows thrown at the Alaafin’s palace.
Retrospectively, she remarked that Oba Owoade suffers what she calls underestimation because of his age, calmness and non-confrontational posture on the throne.
“I think the assumption was that he would be easy to overlook. But the moment he was enthroned, he stopped being just that man and became the living representative of his forebears on a sacred throne. Added to this is the fact that his immediate predecessor left a very large vacuum, which naturally heightened expectations.
“Although he is still at an infancy stage on the throne, having spent just one year there, the throne itself is not at infancy. That is the difference many refuse to acknowledge. Lately, I see a lot of people attempting to distort history for cheap attention online. They can get angry all they want, but the truth remains….the Alaafin bows to no king in Yorubaland, and that is one of the sacred responsibilities any occupant of that throne must defend until his last breath,” she asserted.
However, in what appears like a deliberate attempt to put out the raging flame, the Olubadan declared that he had no intention to snub the Alaafin. In an interview published by the Daily Independent, Oba Ladoja defended that “There was no intention whatsoever. What happened was not deliberate.”
He clarified further, “My seat was sandwiched between Sohun and Alaafin. I had to pass through some people to get there. I didn’t make any decision to avoid or ignore anyone. Why should I?”
Oba Ladoja accused social media of being volatile and inflammable on issues which require caution and maturity to handle.
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