This newspaper reported that the Oyomesi, the kingmakers in the kingdom, forwarded the name of the selected candidate to the governor last year.
Barely 72 hours after PREMIUM TIMES reported the anxiety in Oyo kingdom over the delay in the selection of a new Alaafin, the state governor, Seyi Makinde, has given reason for the delay.
The former Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, died on 22 April last year after 51 years on the throne.
This newspaper reported how the Oyomesi, the kingmakers in the kingdom, forwarded the name of their selected candidate to the governor last year after a vote.
In his reaction to the report on Wednesday, the governor ascribed the delay in the process to his insistence on due process being followed.
Like that of the Alaafin, the stool of the Soun of Ogbomoso has also been vacant since Oba Jimoh Oyewumi died on 13th December 2021.
Speaking on Wednesday during the swearing-in of the state Chief Judge, Iyabo Yerima, Mr Makinde said he had communicated to the relevant quarters that the institutional framework for the emergence of a new Alaafin and Soun must be diligently followed.
He said he would rather have the process delayed to ensure due process and avoid a legal tussle after the selection.
“While coming to the office this morning, I saw in the news that the installation of a new Alaafin of Oyo and Soun of Ogbomoso is being delayed by me.
“What they fail to say is that I have already communicated that the institutional framework should be followed in the selection of a new Alaafin and new Soun.
“When you follow due process, things generally work out more efficiently. We have gone through, in this state, a situation where a king was removed by the judiciary after being on the throne for over 22 years and I said to myself that not under my watch are we going to repeat the same mistake
“I will rather delay and have due process followed and then we know that if anybody decides to go to court after that, the exercise will be a nullity. I believe this is what we need in Nigeria right now, strong institutions but we also need people to build strong institutions.”