Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday inaugurated the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs for the first time in 15 years, with the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, installed as its pioneer chairman.

The inauguration, held at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan, was, however, marred by controversy as the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, was conspicuously absent from the ceremony.

Speaking at the event, Governor Makinde said the chairmanship of the council would be rotated among the Olubadan of Ibadan, the Alaafin of Oyo, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, with each monarch serving a two-year term. According to him, the arrangement was reached after consultations with the three first-class traditional rulers.

“My three fathers, the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, and the Soun of Ogbomosoland, agreed that the rotation should start with the Olubadan of Ibadanland,” Makinde said.

He explained that the decision was aimed at fostering unity, harmony, and cooperation among traditional institutions in the state, adding that the council had not convened since 2011.

“For 15 years, we have not had a functional Council of Obas and Chiefs. Without a council, the role of traditional institutions is weakened. This administration believes our royal fathers are critical to governance and community development,” the governor said.

However, the Alaafin swiftly rejected the governor’s claim of prior consultation. In a statement issued on Thursday by his media aide, Bode Durojaye, the monarch said no such meeting ever took place.

“The attention of the Alaafin’s palace has been drawn to a statement credited to His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, that he consulted with the Alaafin, the Olubadan and the Soun of Ogbomoso on the rotational chairmanship of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs,” the statement read.

“The palace hereby states clearly that there was no time His Imperial Majesty, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, held any meeting with the governor or the other traditional rulers mentioned.”

The palace further stated that the Alaafin neither endorsed nor discussed any rotational arrangement, adding that the official position of the Oyo community had already been conveyed to the governor through a memorandum submitted by the Oyo Council of Elders.

Thursday’s inauguration came amid rumours of a rift between the Alaafin and the Olubadan. A viral video circulating on social media recently showed the Alaafin seemingly refusing to rise to greet Oba Ladoja at a public event, while the Olubadan appeared to decline the Alaafin’s handshake.

But addressing journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, Oba Ladoja dismissed reports of any feud, insisting that there was no animosity between him and the Alaafin.

Governor Makinde, in his remarks, acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue but maintained that the rotational leadership of the council was the best way forward.

“No matter how hard an issue is, we will resolve it. The easiest thing for the government is to divide and rule, but we chose unity,” he said.

He added that the law backing the council was passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly and signed into law on August 14, 2025, stressing that strengthening traditional institutions remained a priority of his administration.