The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has demanded a public apology and retraction from Professor Ademola Dasylva over claims that the monarch arrived three hours late to the inauguration of the Alaafin’s Institute of Yoruba Studies at Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo.
In a statement issued by the monarch’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the Palace described the professor’s remarks as reckless and misleading, insisting that the Alaafin’s arrival followed a revised schedule that had already been communicated to the university before the event.
According to the Palace, the Alaafin apology demand became necessary because the public comments ignored prior arrangements made with the organisers. “For the records, the original schedule proposed by the university indicated 11:00 a.m. as the time for His Imperial Majesty’s arrival,” the statement noted.
It explained that before the programme commenced, the Palace’s Director of Administration formally informed the institution that the Alaafin would be travelling alongside other paramount traditional rulers from outside Oyo State, making it impossible to arrive before noon or 1:00 p.m. The Palace stressed that the updated schedule was communicated in advance and in good faith to enable organisers make adequate preparations.
“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,” Durojaiye said.
The statement further argued that the movement of the Alaafin is guided by established royal traditions and coordination with other traditional rulers, making it inappropriate to expect the monarch to follow arrangements made without proper consultation.
“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 statement read.
The Palace also questioned Professor Dasylva’s authority to comment on the issue, noting that he was neither the organiser of the programme nor a member of the protocol committee responsible for coordinating the event. According to Durojaiye, the professor should have verified the facts with the organisers before making public statements.
“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,” he added.
While acknowledging Dasylva’s contributions to Yoruba scholarship, the Palace maintained that public criticism must be based on verified information and warned against comments capable of undermining traditional institutions.
As part of the Alaafin apology demand, the Palace called on the professor to withdraw the remarks and issue a formal apology. “We therefore demand retraction and apology for remarks made without due consultation and in disregard of prior communication from the Palace,” Durojaiye stated.
The Palace reaffirmed that the Alaafin attended the inauguration in accordance with the agreed schedule and described his presence as further proof of his commitment to promoting Yoruba culture, education and scholarship. “The Alaafin did not come late. He came according to schedule, as duly communicated. To say otherwise is to bear false witness,” the statement concluded.
