Oyo Government Finally Issue Out Invites, Will Sharafadeen Accept Crown or Red Pen
The Oyo State Government has officially Issued out invites for Friday, April 3, 2026, a date chosen for the coronation and presentation of staff of office to three newly elevated high chiefs in Ibadanland, setting the stage for a major political showdown as Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli faces a career-defining choice between traditional royalty and his governorship ambition.
The event, scheduled to hold at Mapo Hall Grounds by 10:00 am, will see His Royal Majesty Oba Akeem Mobalaj Adewoyin, His Royal Majesty Oba Oyekola Babalola, SAN, and His Royal Majesty Oba Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli receive beaded crowns in a ceremony directed by Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde.
The announcement has ignited fresh tension across Ibadan’s political landscape, with observers viewing the move as a calculated attempt to truncate Alli’s gubernatorial aspirations ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District had been widely touted as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the Oyo State governorship race.
According to the Oyo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, the coronation directive was conveyed in a letter dated March 26, 2026, addressed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja.
The government emphasized that conferring beaded crowns was necessary to preserve the integrity of the Ibadan traditional institution and to dispel claims that the delay in the process was politically motivated.
However, critics argue that the timing of the coronation, coming barely weeks after Alli emerged as a leading APC gubernatorial aspirant, is hardly coincidental.
At the heart of the controversy lies a fundamental legal question over whether receiving a beaded crown disqualifies Alli from contesting elective political office.
Under Oyo State chieftaincy law, holders of beaded crowns who attain the status of Obas are traditionally barred from participating in partisan politics.
The government has explicitly noted that the conferment aligns with provisions of the law that reinforce the neutrality of traditional rulers in partisan politics.
But some Ibadan indigenes are pushing back against this interpretation.
Public opinion in Ibadan remains sharply divided. Some view the coronation as a long-overdue recognition of Alli’s contributions to Ibadanland, while others see it as a political trap designed to neutralize a formidable opponent.
The controversy also highlights the delicate balance between governance and traditional authority in Oyo State, where chieftaincy matters remain a sensitive and influential aspect of local administration.
As the April 3 deadline approaches, all eyes are on Senator Alli. If he accepts the crown, he effectively bows out of the 2027 governorship race, honoring the traditional expectation that Obas remain above partisan politics.
If he declines, he risks a potential confrontation with the Olubadan-in-Council and the state government, but preserves his pathway to contest for the state’s top political office. On Friday, either three new Obas will be crowned or one high chief will make a historic decision to keep his political dreams alive, pen in hand, crown untouched.