Alaafin Owoade Speaks On Plots To Jeopardize His April 5 Coronation

Rotimi Osuntola, Chief of Staff to the Alaafin-designate, Akeem Owoade, has dismissed claims that any obstacle stands in the way of Owoade’s coronation as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo, scheduled for April 5, 2025.

Naija News reports that the Oyo State Government has already set the coronation venue at Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo, and it inaugurated a 25-member committee headed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Demola Ojo, to oversee the ceremony’s coordination.

Owoade had previously received his staff of office from Governor Seyi Makinde on January 13, 2025. However, some of his co-contestants, including Lukman Gbadegesin and Ismail Owoade, have continued to challenge his selection, calling the process “unlawful, unconstitutional, invalid, null, and void.”

No Traditional Barrier to Coronation

Reports had emerged suggesting that the whereabouts of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, have been unknown since January 2024, and that his absence could hinder Owoade’s coronation.

The claim was based on the assertion that the Apetumodu must present a sword of authority to a new Alaafin before he ascends the throne.

However, in a Tuesday statement, Osuntola dismissed this claim, stating that no historical record supports the Apetumodu’s involvement as an indispensable part of the coronation process.

He said: “The royal office wishes to assure the Yoruba people and the general public that there is no obstacle to the coronation of Oba Engr. Akeem Abimbola Owoade 1 as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo.

“The necessary rites are being conducted in strict accordance with the historical traditions of the Oyo Empire, and any assertions to the contrary are misleading and should be disregarded.”

Osuntola acknowledged that oral traditions in recent years have introduced the Apetumodu into the coronation narrative, but emphasized that historical records do not validate his role as a mandatory figure in the process.

“It is imperative to clarify that the core aspects of the Alaafin’s installation remain intact, and the coronation will proceed as scheduled on April 5, 2025,” he added.

Quoting historical records, Osuntola maintained that the most sacred element of the Alaafin’s installation is the Sword of Oranyan (Ida Oranyan), which is sent from Ile-Ife—not a sword from Ipetumodu.

He said: “The History of the Yorubas (1921) provides a comprehensive account of the coronation process. Nowhere in this record is the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu mentioned as a mandatory figure in the rites conferring legitimacy upon the Alaafin.”

“Reverend Johnson explicitly states that the most sacred element of the Alaafin’s installation is the receipt of the Ida Oranyan (Sword of Oranyan), which is traditionally sent from Ile-Ife.”

Osuntola further explained that as part of the Ipebi rites, the Sword of Oranyan is first sent from Ile-Ife to Oyo, where it plays a role in the rites before being returned to Ile-Ife. A replica sword is later sent back to the Alaafin to keep as a symbol of his divine authority.