By Patrick Idowu
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has declared that only the throne of Oyo has the authority to confer chieftaincy titles bearing the name “Yorubaland.”
The monarch made the assertion on Sunday during the installation of Senator Abdul-Aziz Yari as Obaloyin of Yorubaland and Barrister Seyi Tinubu as Okanlomo of Yorubaland at the Aganju Forecourt, Aafin Oyo.
Oba Owoade said chieftaincy titles in Yoruba culture are duties, not decorations, stressing that titles with “Yorubaland” in their nomenclature are collective in nature and represent the entire Yoruba people, not individual towns or kingdoms.
He explained that the Oyo throne historically served as the central coordinating authority of the Yoruba, a role recognised during the colonial era, sustained after independence and affirmed by scholarly works and the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The Alaafin urged the newly installed titleholders to serve with humility, loyalty and courage, adding that such honours must promote unity, dignity and the collective good of Yorubaland.
