- Alaafin Demands Apology From Professor Over ‘Late Arrival’ Allegation
- Palace says revised arrival time was communicated to organisers beforehand.
- Monarch insists criticism ignored established facts and royal protocol.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has demanded a retraction and public apology from Professor Ademola Dasylva over claims that he 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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EKO HOT BLOG reports that in a statement issued by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, the monarch described Dasylva’s remarks as reckless, insisting that his arrival was in line with an adjusted schedule that had already been communicated to the organisers.
The Alaafin said it was inaccurate and unfair to portray him as arriving late, stressing that the Palace had informed the university that he would be travelling with other paramount traditional rulers from outside Oyo State.
According to the Palace, the university was informed that the monarch and his entourage would not arrive before noon or 1:00 p.m., adding that the information was communicated in good faith to allow adequate planning for the event.
The Palace further maintained that the movement of the Alaafin is governed by established royal protocols and coordinated with other traditional rulers, making it inappropriate to expect the imperial procession to follow a timetable drawn up 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 criticism, noting 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 maintained that public criticism should be based on verified facts and cautioned against remarks capable of undermining 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.”
