Oba Akeem Owoade, the next Alaafin of Oyo, has not yet started the month-long customary ceremonies that would prepare the way for his coronation, ten days after Governor Seyi Makinde gave him the staff of office and certificate of appointment. Governor Makinde announced that the coronation of the next Alaafin would occur in four weeks at the presentation to Owoade on January 13 at the Oyo Governor’s Office, State Secretariat, Ibadan.

“I will provide the certificate and office personnel today, but the actual coronation will happen in four weeks,” Makinde stated. The people of Oyo town gave the Alaafin-elect a jubilant entrance as he arrived there that day with the certificate and office staff.

In Oyo town, he also went to his family’s home, where he was welcomed by friends and family. However, Oba Owoade left for Canada the next day, defying the notion in certain quarters that the Alaafin-elect would start traditional ceremonies right away in order to meet the Oyo State Governor’s four-week coronation timetable.

According to information obtained by NEWSWORLD, Owoade was required to return to his Canadian base in order to formally step down from his positions and activities there. “Owoade remains in Canada.” Before going back to Oyo, he must quit his jobs in Canada and finish all of those documents, a source told NEWSWORLD on Wednesday.

The president of 100279 Manitoba Limited, a financial services and real estate investment company in Manitoba, Canada, is the Alaafin-elect, a Nigerian and Canadian philanthropist. Owoade works as the Project Coordinator for Manitoba Hydro, one of Canada’s biggest suppliers of natural gas and electricity.

People and organizations that the Alaafin-elect is required to visit in order to perform enthronement ceremonies stated as of Wednesday that they were still waiting for Owoade to start the ceremony. He has not yet started the customary ceremonies. We think he is still getting ready and preparing himself. He must perform numerous sacrifices and rites, which makes the process drawn out. It is continuous; once he begins, he must visit numerous locations, so he must be prepared. One participant in the traditional ceremonies told NEWSWORLD, “I can not say how many days the rituals will take, but it will be close to a month; that includes the Ipebi rituals too.”

Documents relating to the Alaafin installation indicate that the divinely selected candidate goes to Ipebi for traditional rites and is installed as the new king after the completion of all the traditional rites.

The Ipebi (seclusion) ritual involves several individuals and groups playing key roles in guaranteeing the spiritual well-being and authority of the Alaafin.

Among them is the Oluawo (Ifa priest) who serves as the spiritual guide and advisor to the Alaafin through the Ipebi ritual.

The Oyo Mesi, priests and priestesses also play roles in offering prayers, performing sacrifices and providing spiritual support.

Other traditional rites are that the Alaafin-elect is to perform additional enthronement rites at the Baba Iyaji residence, Ona Isokun, Ilemole, Bara before he proceeds to the Koso chamber accompanied by his chiefs and priests.

In the Koso chamber, the Alaafin-elect will be crowned with his royal headdress, symbolising his renewed spiritual authority.

He also would perform additional rituals and make offerings to the Orishas and his ancestors solidifying his connection with the divine.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, confirmed to NEWSWORLD on Wednesday that the state government had approved April 4 as the date for the coronation of the new Alaafin.