Nigeria’s foremost Yoruba traditional ruler, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has declared that only the Oyo throne possesses the historic and legal authority to confer chieftaincy titles that carry the name “Yorubaland.”
The monarch made this position known on Sunday, December 21, 2025, during a public ceremony held at the Aganju Forecourt of the Oyo Palace in Oyo town, Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria. The occasion marked the formal installation of former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul-Aziz Yari, as Obaloyin of Yorubaland, and Seyi Tinubu as Okanlomo of Yorubaland.
Speaking to a gathering of traditional rulers, political figures, and cultural leaders, the Alaafin stressed that chieftaincy within Yoruba culture is not symbolic or decorative, but a serious obligation anchored in service, responsibility, and long-standing tradition. Okay News reports that the monarch used the event to clarify growing debates around the conferment of regional titles.
According to Oba Owoade, the Oyo throne historically served as the central coordinating authority for the Yoruba people, a role that existed long before colonial administration and continued through Nigeria’s post-independence governance structures.
He explained that titles bearing the name “Yorubaland” are not community-based honours but collective positions meant to represent the interests of the entire Yoruba nation, which spans several states in southwestern Nigeria and parts of neighbouring West African countries.
The monarch added that only a throne whose jurisdiction historically covered the whole Yoruba region could legitimately bestow such titles. He said this authority has been supported by colonial administrative records, post-independence traditional councils, academic research, and judicial decisions, including rulings by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Describing the newly installed titles as positions of trust, Oba Owoade urged the recipients to serve with humility, courage, and loyalty, while promoting unity and respect for Yoruba traditions.
He said, “We are gathered here today for a purpose that goes beyond celebration. We are here to witness history and to place responsibility where tradition has long placed it. Chieftaincy, in our culture, is not an act of favour. It is not decoration. It is a duty, conferred only when history, authority, and responsibility align.”
The Alaafin further traced the roots of Oyo’s influence, noting that colonial administrators encountered and documented an already established system of regional coordination led from Oyo. He referenced historical boundaries of the former Oyo Province as evidence of this wide-ranging authority.
He added that authority among the Yoruba has never been based on convenience but on structure, law, and history, stressing that while all thrones are sacred, their functions are not identical.
As the ceremony concluded, the Alaafin reminded the new titleholders that their roles were meant to strengthen cohesion and dignity across Yorubaland, not to provoke rivalry or division.
