Alaafin of Oyo: Gbajabiamila cancels chieftaincy title ceremony

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has cancelled his chieftaincy title ceremony as Aare Baasofin of Yoruba Land slated to hold on May 27, 2022.

The ritual was to be performed by His Royal Highness, the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III who incidentally passed on Saturday.

In a statement on Sunday, Gbajabiamila said the ceremony would no longer hold due to the monarch’s death.

“You will recall that his Royal Highness, the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III communicated the conferment of the title of Aare Baasofin of Yoruba Land to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila through an appointment letter dated September 7, 2021, and presented to the Speaker on Thursday, September 30, 2021, at the National Assembly, Abuja, by members of the Oyomesi Council led by the Bashorun of Oyo Kingdom, High Chief Olayinka Ayoola, who is the traditional Prime Minister of Oyo Kingdom and Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu; upon which the Speaker, in turn, accepted the appointment with gratitude to God.

“However, due to the tight work schedule of the Speaker, the chieftaincy ceremony could not hold throughout 2021, until this year when the date of May 27, 2022, was agreed with the palace, but as God in His majesty will have it, the revered monarch passed away on Friday night before the distribution of invitation cards for the event (May Allah grant him Aljanah Firdaus).

“Naturally, the event can no longer hold as the Speaker, the entire Yoruba race and Nigerians home and abroad mourn the demise of the widely respected monarch”, the statement read.