Absence of Osun Monarch Not an Obstacle to Installation of Alaafin — Palace

The coronation rites for the 46th Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade, are currently underway, and the absence of the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Osun State, is not a barrier to the legitimacy of the process, the Palace has stated.

Rotimi Osuntola, Chief of Staff to Oba Owoade, issued a statement on Tuesday, urging the public to disregard a media report suggesting that the coronation would be incomplete without the Apetumodu.

The statement came in response to a recent article in a national newspaper titled “Alaafin’s Coronation in Jeopardy Over Unknown Whereabouts of Osun Monarch.” Osuntola described the claims as misleading, arguing that they stem from a misunderstanding of the long-established coronation rites of the Alaafin of Oyo.

“For clarity, the installation of the Alaafin follows a well-documented tradition that has been observed for centuries. Reverend Samuel Johnson, in his influential work The History of the Yorubas (1921), provides a thorough account of the coronation process,” the statement said.

The Palace emphasized that the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu is not a mandatory figure in the historical rites that confer legitimacy upon the Alaafin. Osuntola pointed out that Reverend Johnson’s account of the coronation does not mention the Apetumodu’s role in this process.

“It is important to note that the most sacred element of the Alaafin’s installation is the receipt of the Ida Oranyan (Sword of Oranyan), which is sent from Ile-Ife. This sword symbolizes the Alaafin’s divine authority and the continuation of Oranmiyan’s legacy,” the statement explained.

The Palace further clarified that the Ida Oranyan is a central part of the installation ceremony, with the sword being sent from Ile-Ife to Oyo as part of the ipebi rites. After the ritual, the sword is returned to Ile-Ife, and a replica is sent back to the Alaafin. Although some recent oral traditions may have introduced the Apetumodu into the coronation narrative, historical records do not support the claim that his role is indispensable to the process.

“The assertion that the absence of the Apetumodu could ‘jeopardize’ the coronation is unfounded,” Osuntola added.

The Chief of Staff reaffirmed that the core elements of the Alaafin’s installation remain intact, and the coronation will take place as planned on April 5, 2025.

“The Yoruba tradition is rich and adaptable but remains true to its established and documented practices, as recorded by historians such as Reverend Samuel Johnson, C.L. Adeoye in Asa ati Ise Yoruba (Chapter 13), and numerous others who consulted with elders who witnessed the ipebi rites of the late Alaafin Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III,” the statement continued.

The Palace assured both the Yoruba people and the public that there is no hindrance to the coronation of Oba Owoade I as the 46th Alaafin of Oyo. It also called on the media to verify historical and cultural claims before publication to prevent the spread of misinformation on sensitive traditional matters.