Video: Olubadan refuses to shake Alaafin at Oyo event
Abdullateef Fowewe
A charged atmosphere gripped the Oyo Annual Inter-Faith Service today as Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadan, appeared to publicly rebuff a handshake from Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, the Alaafin of Oyo, sparking whispers of deepening tensions between two of Yorubaland’s most revered monarchs.
Video: Olubadan refuses to shake Alaafin at Oyo event
Eyewitnesses at the high-profile event, held at a prominent venue in Oyo, described the moment as palpably awkward.
As dignitaries mingled during the service’s ceremonial close, Oba Owoade extended his hand in a traditional gesture of respect and camaraderie toward Oba Ladoja.
The Olubadan, however, saw turning away without reciprocating, leaving the Alaafin momentarily isolated amid a sea of shocked onlookers.
The snub comes amid longstanding rivalries between the ancient stools of Oyo and Ibadan, rooted in historical power struggles and disputes over primacy in Yoruba traditional hierarchy.
Oba Ladoja, a former Senator and governor of Oyo State, has long asserted the Olubadan’s supremacy, while Oba Owoade, recently installed as Alaafin, has championed Oyo’s imperial legacy.
