The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has declared that the Oyo throne is the only traditional authority empowered to confer chieftaincy titles bearing the name “Yorubaland.”
The monarch made the declaration on Sunday at the Aganju Forecourt of the Oyo Palace during the installation of former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul-Aziz Yari, as Obaloyin of Yorubaland, and Seyi Tinubu as Okanlomo of Yorubaland.
Oba Owoade said chieftaincy titles in Yoruba tradition are not ornamental or bestowed as favours, but represent serious responsibilities rooted in history, authority and service to the people.
He explained that the Oyo throne has historically functioned as a central coordinating authority for the Yoruba people, a role he said was recognised during the colonial era and sustained after independence.
According to the Alaafin, titles that carry the name “Yorubaland” are collective in nature and represent the entire Yoruba nation rather than any single town or kingdom. He said such titles must therefore be conferred by an authority whose jurisdiction historically spans the whole of Yorubaland.
The monarch added that this position has been validated by colonial records, post-independence councils, scholarly works and judicial pronouncements, including decisions of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He noted that the newly installed titles are positions of trust that require courage, loyalty and selfless service to the Yoruba people, stressing that they are meant to promote unity, dignity and respect for tradition across Yorubaland.
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Oba Owoade urged the new titleholders to discharge their duties with humility and ensure that their roles contribute to cohesion and the collective good of the Yoruba people.
He said the authority of the Alaafin as a coordinating force in Yorubaland was not self-declared but recognised, enforced and sustained across generations, adding that while all Yoruba thrones are sacred, they are not equal in function.
The Alaafin emphasised that chieftaincy titles bearing the name “Yorubaland” fall under a single, established authority, which he said is the throne of Oyo.