Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has demanded an apology from Professor Ademola Dasylva over remarks accusing him of arriving three hours late to the inauguration of the Alaafin’s Institute of Yoruba Studies at Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Alaafin, in a statement issued by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, described Dasylva’s remarks as “reckless”, insisting that his arrival was in line with an adjusted schedule already communicated to the organisers.
The monarch said it was inaccurate and unfair to portray him as arriving late, stressing that the Palace had informed the university about his travel alongside other paramount traditional rulers from outside Oyo State.
Accord to the Alaafin, the Palace made it clear that his entourage could not arrive before noon or 1:00 p.m., noting that the information was conveyed in good faith to allow proper planning.
The Palace further argued that the movement of the Alaafin involves established royal protocols and coordination with other traditional rulers, saying it was inappropriate to expect an imperial procession to conform to arrangements made without full consultation.
The statement read, “For the records, the original schedule proposed by the university indicated 11:00 a.m. as the time for His Imperial Majesty’s arrival.
“However, before the commencement of the event, the Director of Administration of the Alaafin’s Palace formally communicated that the Alaafin would be arriving with other paramount Obas travelling from outside Oyo State.
“This communication was not an afterthought. It was made deliberately and in good faith to enable proper planning. To therefore feign surprise and launch into public castigation is either a wilful disregard of facts or a deliberate act of provocation.
“The Palace does not move in isolation. When the Alaafin moves, he moves with the dignity of Oyo, with the council, and often in concert with other crowns. To expect an imperial procession to conform to a timetable designed without full consultation is to misunderstand both monarchy and courtesy.”
The Alaafin also questioned the basis of Dasylva’s comments, maintaining that the professor was neither the convener of the event nor a member of the protocol team and was not privy to communications between the Palace and the university.
While acknowledging Dasylva’s contributions to Yoruba scholarship, the monarch insisted that criticism must be based on verified facts, warning against attacks on Yoruba traditional institutions.
The statement added, “The honourable and scholarly path would have been to inquire from the organisers before rushing to the marketplace of public opinion with insults. A professor of repute is expected to embody circumspection, research and restraint.
“We therefore demand retraction and apology for remarks made without due consultation and in disregard of prior communication from the Palace.
“The Alaafin did not come late. He came according to schedule, as duly communicated. To say otherwise is to bear false witness.”
