One of the contestants jostling to ascend the throne of the Alaafin of Oyo, Adedolapo Atiba-Adediran, has said narrowing down the selection of would-be Alaafin to princes from the Agunloye Ruling House alone may cause legal crisis which may stall the selection process.
Atiba-Adediran said this in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.
He said the race to ascend the throne was supposed to be open to all ruling families and not just those from the Agunloye Ruling House alone.
He accused the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, of bias in the ongoing selection of a new monarch to succeed Oba Lamidi Adeyemi just as there were claims that 58 contestants from the Agunloye Ruling House had been cleared while 61 contestants from other ruling families outside Agunloye had been disqualified.
The Head of Princes in Oyo (Baba Iyaji) was called by our correspondent on the telephone but he rejected the call.
A text message sent to him to confirm or deny the claims was yet to be replied to as of the time of filing this report.
Atiba-Adediran said the governor should follow the 1976 Chieftaincy Declaration or be ready for court action on the matter because those allegedly sidelined were not ready to watch their rights trampled upon.
He said, “All the descendants of Atiba are entitled to the throne. The race is open to all of us because the 1976 Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration stated that there’s one Atiba Ruling House and it comprises all Atiba descendants. The throne is not meant for just two families, that is, Agunloye and Alowolodu families.
“Agunloye happened to be the first son of Atiba and the fourth son is Alowolodu. The descendants of the two of them have been occupying the throne but the stool is not meant for only their families.
“The ascension of children from these two families to the throne has been made possible by some circumstances. So, the throne is not their exclusive right, it is meant for everybody who is a descendant of Alaafin Atiba. That is supported by the 1976 Declaration.
A copy of a letter titled, ‘Re-commencement of administration process to fill the vacant stool of Alaafin’ by the Chairman of Atiba Local Government Area of Oyo State, and addressed to Baba Iyaji, ( head of princes) directed him to liaise with the Agunloye Ruling House on selection of the crown prince from the ruling house.
