The palace of the Alaafin of Oyo has rejected allegations that the monarch, Oba Akeem Owoade, arrived several hours late to a university event, insisting that his attendance followed a schedule earlier communicated to the organisers.
The rebuttal came after Prof. Ademola Dasylva of the Department of English, University of Ibadan, criticised the monarch’s conduct during the inauguration of the Alaafin Institute of Yoruba Studies at the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, on July 14, 2026.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, described the professor’s comments as misleading, reckless and damaging to the dignity of the Yoruba royal institution.
According to Durojaiye, the palace had informed the university before the event that the monarch would not arrive before noon because he would be travelling with other paramount traditional rulers from outside Oyo State.
He explained that although the university initially proposed an 11 a.m. arrival for the Alaafin, the Palace’s Director of Administration officially communicated that the earliest feasible arrival time would be between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.
“The communication 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,” Durojaiye said.
The palace maintained that Oba Owoade honoured the agreed timetable and therefore could not be accused of lateness.
It further argued that Prof. Dasylva was not involved in organising the programme and was not privy to the exchanges between the university and the palace.
“Prof. Dasylva is not the convener of the event. He was not part of the protocol team. He was not privy to the correspondence between the Palace and the University,” the statement added.
The palace also faulted the professor for publishing his criticism without first seeking clarification from the organisers.
“Accusation without verification is slander. Criticism without context is recklessness. And when such is directed at the throne of Oduduwa, it ceases to be commentary and becomes desecration,” Durojaiye stated.
He described the Alaafin as the custodian of Yoruba civilisation and argued that the monarch’s presence at the inauguration, despite his demanding engagements, should have been appreciated rather than criticised.
The palace further called on the professor to withdraw his comments and apologise, insisting that the allegation of lateness was false.
“The Alaafin did not come ‘late.’ He came according to schedule, as duly communicated. To say otherwise is to bear false witness,” the statement said.
The controversy followed an article published by Prof. Dasylva on Wednesday through the Toyin Falola Network, titled “Of Mythography and Mythognosis: A Complementary Perspective on Yoruba Mythology and The Relevance, Today.”
In the article, the academic accused the monarch of showing disrespect to guests and the revered Alaafin institution by allegedly arriving more than three hours after the event was expected to begin.
Dasylva said the programme was scheduled to commence at 9 a.m., with the Alaafin’s arrival listed for 9:55 a.m., but claimed the monarch eventually arrived at about 12:20 p.m., leaving invited guests waiting throughout the period.
He argued that organisers failed to provide cultural performances or other activities to engage attendees during the delay and expressed disappointment that neither the monarch nor his representatives offered an apology.
The professor maintained that such conduct was inconsistent with the discipline and values associated with the Yoruba traditional institution, adding that while similar behaviour might be expected from some politicians, it should not be associated with one of the foremost custodians of Yoruba culture.
As of the time of filing this report, Prof. Dasylva had not responded to the palace’s latest statement or the demand for a retraction and apology.
1 comment
Kola OLAITAN
I think it is wrong to accuse the professor, If it is true that the organisers in spite of Alafin having communicated his scheduled arrival to the organisers, still have his arrival on their agenda for 9.55am!