The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, on Wednesday presented cars to two members of the Oyomesi, his traditional council of kingmakers, in a ceremony at his palace in Oyo.
According to a Facebook post by Oyo Legacies, the gifts were handed over amid traditional chants praising the monarch for what was described as a gesture of magnanimity.
Oba Owoade personally escorted the chiefs to their new vehicles and prayed that the cars would serve their intended purpose.
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Accompanied by his queen, Olori Abiwunmi Owoade, his personal assistant, Rev’d Oladele Kolade, palace aides, and members of the royal family, the Alaafin presented the keys and documents of the vehicles to the Agbaakin, High Chief Asimiyu Alaka, and the Iba Samu, Lamidi Oyewale.
On behalf of the Alaafin, Mogaji Adediwura Owoade offered prayers for the beneficiaries, asking for divine protection, long life, and prosperity both for them and the monarch.
The gesture comes against the backdrop of tensions within the Oyomesi, the body of seven high chiefs traditionally empowered to select the Alaafin.
At present, only two, Agbaakin and Iba Samu, are actively recognised, following years of disputes and succession battles.
The division within the council has fuelled debate around the legitimacy of Oba Owoade’s emergence, with a faction of the Oyomesi, comprising the Basorun, High Chief Yusuf Akinade; the Alapinni, High Chief Nureni Alimi; and the Laguna, High Chief Wakeel Oyedepo, having rejected his appointment.
Against this background, the Alaafin’s car donation is being viewed as both a symbolic act of generosity and a potential move to consolidate support within the fractured traditional council.
