The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has declared that the authority to confer chieftaincy titles bearing the name “Yorubaland” resides solely with the Oyo throne.

The monarch made the assertion on Sunday at the Aganju Forecourt of the Oyo Palace during the installation of former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul-Aziz Yari, as Obaloyin of Yorubaland, and Seyi Tinubu as Okanlomo of Yorubaland.

Oba Owoade stressed that chieftaincy titles in Yoruba tradition are neither ornamental nor acts of favour, but weighty responsibilities grounded in history, authority and service to the people.

According to him, the Oyo throne historically functioned as a central coordinating authority for the Yoruba people, an arrangement recognised during the colonial era and sustained after independence.

He explained that titles carrying the name “Yorubaland” are collective in nature, representing the entire Yoruba nation rather than any single town or kingdom, and must therefore be conferred by an authority whose jurisdiction historically spans the whole region.

The Alaafin said this position is supported by colonial records, post-independence councils, scholarly works and judicial pronouncements, including decisions of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Describing the newly installed titles as positions of trust, Oba Owoade said they demand courage, loyalty and selfless service, noting that such honours are meant to strengthen unity, cohesion and respect for tradition across Yorubaland.

He urged the new titleholders to discharge their responsibilities with humility and ensure that their roles promote the dignity and collective good of the Yoruba people.

“We are gathered here for a purpose that goes beyond celebration. Chieftaincy, in our culture, is not decoration or favour; it is duty—conferred only when history, authority and responsibility align,” the monarch said.

He added that from the earliest organisation of the Yoruba people, authority was clearly structured, giving Yorubaland stability long before the advent of modern governance.

Tracing the historical reach of the Oyo Empire, the Alaafin noted that by 1914, Oyo Province had become the largest province in Southern Nigeria, covering 14,381 square miles and extending across present-day boundaries, a reflection of its recognised leadership over a vast and diverse territory.

“Titles that bear the name ‘Yorubaland’ are not local titles. They speak for the Yoruba people as a whole. Such titles must proceed from an authority whose reach, by history and by law, extends across Yorubaland,” he said.

He concluded that the central coordinating role of the Alaafin of Oyo was not self-declared but recognised, enforced and sustained across generations, adding that the Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed this historical position.

“The law is clear. History is settled,” Oba Owoade declared.