Residents of Oyo town in Oyo State have advanced reasons they are pushing for the selection of Prince Dr. Ajibade Adeladan of Agunloye ruling house to be made the Alaafin of Oyo.
It will recalled that since the demise of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, the selection of the next Alaafin kicked off with over 45 aspirants pushing to occupy the throne.
However, in separate interviews, some residents are insisting that the next Alaafin should be one who has both local and international exposure and who could ensure that development is brought to Oyo, its environs and the larger Yoruba race.
For 45-yr-old architect and Oyo indigene, Adetokunbo Toluwalase, “Prince Ajibade Adeladan’s resume is impressive, far above others. Oyo needs a modern builder as a traditional ruler. Today, whoever gets into the town would be worried about the current infrastructure of the place. We need someone who would bring out the beauty of both this place and neighbouring communities. As an architect, we look at the architectural beauty of societies. In fact, this is crucial because it has the potential of bringing in investments both at home and from the Diaspora. Prince Ajibade Adeladan should be given the stool.”
Yetunde Jimoh, a trader in Oyo, called on the selection committee of the Oyomesi to give Oyo people Prince Adeladan as the next Alaafin considering what they stand to benefit as a people. “I am an elderly woman but I have seen that who the people get as Alaafin would impact negatively or positively on the fortunes of the people. We want our people to get the development and improvement in their lives. We want trade to get better and the cost of living to be reduced. We want an Alaafin that can do that for us. Prince Adeladan has all that we need to effect this. He should be made the next Alaafin of Oyo. We know him and we want him.”
Moshood Gbadegesin, an On-Air-Personality on radio and an indigene of Oyo, supported the candidacy of Dr. Ajibade Adeladan. “I have read and reviewed the various aspirants’ resumes. There are many educated Oyo indigenes both home and abroad. It is crucial that we get it right. Dr. Adeladan is an achiever and he is one who understands what development is. I strongly advise that if the Oyomesi and the various stakeholders are interested in the development of our people, town and the Yoruba race, then they should make Dr. Adeladan the next Alaafin. He can deliver and he will deliver,” he appealed.
A culture enthusiast and economist, also an indigene of Oyo, Nojeem Alasepe, told journalists that Oyo needs to be economically positioned for growth, insisting that Prince Adeladan as Alaafin would ensure that. According to him, “It is indeed true that the last Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Adeyemi did what he could but we have not got to where we should be. Oyo is a very traditional place but we have to come out and take our pride of place as a foremost place in the development of the Yoruba race. I want Prince Adeladan to be the next Alaafin. He has all it takes to reposition the social and economic life of this ancient place.”
Adesola Adetayo, an entrepreneur, argued that “In terms of education and exposure, Prince Dr. Ajibade Adeladan towers above them all. We have known him even before he travelled out of Nigeria to work. Even at that he never stopped interacting with us as his people. He connects with us; he comes home regularly to help us with what he could. But imagine him as the next Alaafin, he would be very much empowered to bring the desired development that we need. Oyo needs to go bigger than it already is.”
Kolawole Abdulhamid, an Oyo youth leader, told journalists that the Alaafin throne needs a visionary leader who is in sync with modern-day advancements. “I am a young man. I have been into agriculture but I, like many others, need the boost that we can get to make us get to the top. But we can only achieve this if we can get a traditional ruler that understands the language of development. With his track record, we are confident that Prince Ajibade will bring all his exposure to help us in this area of agriculture, particularly in the area of youth empowerment. There are many young people with fantastic ideas but they need a traditional ruler who can push them in realising their dreams. He should be made the Alaafin of Oyo. We are confident that he would make us proud,” he stated.
For Nike Bakare, a local teacher in the town, education remains crucial and a traditional ruler who prioritises education would bring sustainable growth to his subjects. According to her, ‘For me, education is key. We want a traditional ruler who can further help in the area of education for our children. At the moment we have two universities in Oyo but we are sure that with an Alaafin that understands the value of education, Oyo can be better in that regard.’
For university lecturer, Dr. Rufai Abdulrahman, getting it right is crucial. “We are convinced that making Dr. Adeladan the next Alaafin would give the people what they have always wanted. We are concerned that Oyo is at the level where it is. The stool of the Alaafin is very crucial to the advancement of the Yoruba race and this should not be handled with kid gloves. We want Adeladan as Alaafin because he represents what a modern monarch should be. This is very important. In the area of education and human development, he can guarantee that,” he said.
Dr. Hamzat Bayode, a medical practitioner, expressed delight at the prospect of getting a medical doctor whose practice has gained global recognition as the next Alaafin of Oyo. “It is not every day that you find someone of Dr. Ajibade Adeladan with the readiness of abandon his foreign medical practice with the intention to serve his people. I am confident that with him as the next Alaafin of Oyo, there will be a major concentration on the improvement of health care infrastructure in the local communities which fall under the traditional administration of the Alaafin. He should be allowed to occupy that throne. He is a surgeon and also an addiction medicine expert,” he said.
Fatima Gbolahan, a 27-year-old hairstylist who resides in Oyo, told journalists that she grew knowing just one Alaafin of Oyo, the late Oba Adeyemi, insisting that a new Alaafin would be very good for the people of Oyo. She however said she is “excited by the candidacy of Prince Ajibade Adeladan. I have known him since I was a child. He is very kind. I am proud to identify with him and really wish that he becomes the next Alaafin. He is well travelled. I know that he would make youth empowerment his priority if he becomes the Alaafin of Oyo. We really want him.”
