The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has been appointed Chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas by Governor Seyi Makinde, marking a new phase in the leadership of the state’s traditional council.

Makinde announced the appointment during a brief ceremony at the House of Chiefs, Agodi, Ibadan, attended by traditional rulers and dignitaries. However, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, was noticeably absent from the event, a development that drew attention within traditional and political circles.

The governor said the chairmanship of the council would now be rotated among the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Alaafin of Oyo and the Soun of Ogbomosoland, with each monarch serving a two-year term. According to Makinde, the arrangement is aimed at promoting unity, mutual respect and cooperation among traditional institutions in the state.

The appointment, however, triggered a swift reaction from the Alaafin’s Palace, which denied claims that the monarch was consulted on the rotational arrangement. In a statement signed by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaye, the palace said Oba Owoade neither met with the governor nor endorsed the rotational chairmanship, describing claims to that effect as untrue.

The palace added that the position of the Alaafin and the Oyo community had earlier been communicated to the governor through a memo from the Oyo Council of Elders. While the appointment of Oba Ladoja has been welcomed by some stakeholders, the disagreement has raised fresh concerns about unity within the State Council of Obas, with further clarification expected from the state government.