We Didn't Beg You To Contest As Alaafin — Ruling House To Ladigbolu

The Chairman of Agunloye Ruling House, Yusuf Tella, has denied claims of retired Archbishop Ladigbolu that he was begged by people to contest the Alaafin stool.

Earlier reports have it that the 84-year-old retired Archbishop of the Methodist Church of Nigeria and Alaafin stool aspirant in a newspaper stated that some people were begging him to contest to occupy the vacant Alaafin stool.

"The people are actually urging me and appealing to me to join the race. The pressure is not limited to well-meaning adults but also includes a lot of the common people who have been touched one way or another by my patriotic enthusiasm for the growth and development of Oyo Town and the Oyo Metropolitan Community.”

Tella, also said there were too many qualified princes from the Agunloye Ruling House.

He added that it would be ridiculous for anyone to claim that people were pleading with him to contest the race.

He asked Archbishop Ladigbolu to tell the public why he wanted to become the Alaafin at the age of 84.

“It is wrong for him (Ladigbolu) to say that he was begged to contest. No prince begged him to contest. There are so many princes who are jostling to be selected to mount the stool.

"So, why will they be begging him? Even when you talk of age, he is older than the late Alaafin.

“So many have applied and this is in the public domain. There are so many qualified princes who have signified interest. So, who is now begging him? That claim is not true.

“Lawani Agogo Ija was the first born of Agunloye and his (Lawani Ago Ija’s) children have been the only ones occupying the throne out of the 29 children of Agunloye.

"Ladigbolu is even from the one ruling family that has been occupying the throne for long. Ladigbolu is not part of the remaining 28 children of Agunloye.

“The Agunloye family has presented 48 candidates and we are telling the Oyomesi again that out of 29 children, only one of them has produced Alaafin on three occasions.

"They should pick the next Alaafin from the remaining 28 families who have not had such an opportunity to mount the throne."