Alaafin demands apology from professor over 'late arrival' remark at event

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has formally demanded an apology and retraction from Professor Ademola Dasylva. The demand stems from comments attributed to the professor alleging 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.

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For the records, the original schedule proposed by the university indicated 11:00 a.m. as the time for His Imperial Majesty’s arrival.

In a statement issued by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the palace described the professor's remarks as "reckless." Durojaiye insisted that the monarch's arrival was in accordance with an adjusted schedule that had been communicated to the event organizers. The statement clarified that the original schedule proposed by the university had set the monarch's arrival for 11:00 a.m.

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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.

However, the palace formally informed the university before the event that the Alaafin would be arriving with other paramount traditional rulers from outside Oyo State. Durojaiye stated that the Palace made it "unequivocally clear" that the monarch's entourage could not arrive before noon or 1:00 p.m. This communication, he stressed, was made in good faith to allow for 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 asserted.

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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 further argued that the Alaafin's movements adhere to established royal protocols and require coordination with other traditional rulers. It deemed it inappropriate to expect an imperial procession to conform to arrangements made without full consultation. Durojaiye questioned the basis of Professor Dasylva's comments, noting that the professor was neither the convener nor a member of the protocol team and thus not privy to the communications between the Palace and the university. The palace demanded that criticism be based on verified facts, warning against attacks on Yoruba traditional institutions.

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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.