THE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, has revealed why he wrote a letter to the Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi on the Pelu Pelu Obas, charging traditional rulers to henceforth come together and identify with one another in order to protect the traditional institution as contained in their oath during installation rites.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune on Saturday, Oba Adeyemi declared that Yoruba culture, especially the Pelupelu that grades traditional rulers in Ekiti State, is too deeply entrenched to be undermined, promising that he would not be silent when faced with anything that threatens Yoruba culture and tradition.
He said his letter to the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, was in accordance with his principle to always enlighten government and public office holders on the essence of Yoruba cultural heritage which every ruler is traditionally assigned to defend.
“I considered that letter as a sacred responsibility, based on my status in Yorubaland. The history is there to verify leadership role which the Alaafin had always played in Yorubaland. One of those roles is explained in the letter to the governor, reminding him of the Kiriji War which the Alaafin facilitated to end in 1886.
“This matter is not about ego or playing to the gallery. It is about facts which are well documented by the colonial government in charge of administration then,” he said.
Oba Adeyemi added that he was excited at the responses by those traditional rulers he consulted before he put his pen to paper, saying that the unanimous nod he received from them was indicative of their position on the action of the governor on 16 crowned kings in the state.