COMMENTARY
OSUN ASSEMBLY SPEAKER DENIES ROTATIONAL CHAIRMANSHIP LETTER, REMOVING OONI AS OBA’s COUNCIL PERMANENT CHAIRMAN, DISMISSES SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIMS AS FALSE
The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, has firmly dismissed reports alleging that a letter seeking legislative approval for the introduction of a rotational chairmanship of the Osun State Council of Obas is currently before the Assembly.
The clarification was contained in an official statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Olamide Tiamiyu, and released to journalists in Osogbo on Monday.
According to the statement, a Facebook page operating under the name “Ashiwaju Omo Yoruba” had circulated a claim that the Osun State House of Assembly had received a letter proposing a rotational system for the chairmanship of the Osun Council of Obas.
Reacting to the claim, the Speaker described the report as completely false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.
The Speaker stated, “Office of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly unequivocally dismisses as false and misleading the publication circulated by a pseudo Facebook page operating under the name ‘Ashiwaju Omo Yoruba,” insisting that he did not authorise any letter authorising rotational chairmanship among Osun Obas.
“At no time did the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun received or authorised any letter concerning the rotation of chairmanship among traditional rulers in Osun State, nor was any such matter presented or contemplated before the House or its Committee on Chieftaincy Matters.
“The claim is entirely fabricated and does not reflect the legislative activities or records of the Assembly. This pseudo Facebook page is clearly engaged in deliberate mischief, spreading unfounded information with the intent to mislead the public, provoke unnecessary tension, and undermine the credibility of the Osun State House of Assembly,” Egbedun said.
The Speaker further condemned what he described as the reckless circulation of sensitive and potentially inflammatory content, warning against attempts to exploit traditional and cultural issues for ulterior motives.
He noted that “The Speaker strongly condemns this conduct and reiterates that the Assembly conducts its affairs strictly in line with constitutional provisions and established legislative procedures.”
He also urged residents of Osun State and the general public to disregard the publication in its entirety, stressing that only communications issued through the official and verified channels of the Osun State House of Assembly should be regarded as authentic.
The clarification from the Osun Assembly comes against the backdrop of ongoing public discussions generated by the recent inauguration of the reconstituted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, which introduced a rotational chairmanship model among selected first-class traditional rulers in Oyo State.
On January 15, Governor Seyi Makinde inaugurated the newly constituted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs in Ibadan, with the chairmanship designed to rotate among three prominent monarchs in the state.
The inauguration, held at the House of Chiefs Hall, State Secretariat, Ibadan, produced the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Arusa I, as the inaugural chairman of the council for a two-year tenure.
Notably, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, one of the most revered traditional rulers in the state, was absent from the ceremony.
The reconstitution of the Oyo council followed the passage of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs (Further Amendments) Bill, 2025, by the Oyo State House of Assembly, a legislative step aimed at strengthening traditional institutions and enhancing their roles in governance.
Against this background, the Osun Assembly has maintained that no such proposal exists before it, urging the public to avoid drawing parallels or making assumptions based on developments in other states, and to rely solely on verified information fro
m official government sources.