The installation of Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the Aare Baasofin of Yorubaland (the Supreme Lawmaker of Yorubaland), has been halted.
The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,Lanre Lasisi, confirmed this in a statement on Sunday.
The installation of Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the Aare Baasofin of Yorubaland (the Supreme Lawmaker of Yorubaland), has been halted.
The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,Lanre Lasisi, confirmed this in a statement on Sunday.
Lasisi stated that the event, which was scheduled for Friday, May 27, 2022, has been postponed due to the death of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III.
Alaafin died 35 days before Gbajabiamila’s chieftaincy conferment ceremony, which was part of the lawmaker’s 60th birthday celebrations.
In September 2021, the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, bestowed upon Gbajabiamila the ancient title of Aare Baasofin of Yorubaland (the Supreme Lawmaker of Yorubaland).
An invitation card of the event that surfaced online shows that the installation is slated to take place on Friday, May 27, 2022, with the All Progressives Congress’ presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, named as the Chairman of the occasion.
The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, was also announced as the Royal Father of the Day, with Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey and K1 De Ultimate as the musicians set to entertain visitors.
Lasisi in the statement explained that the monarch died before the distribution of invitation cards for the event.
The statement read, “You will recall that his Royal Highness, the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III communicated the conferment of the title of Aare Baasofin of Yoruba Land to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila through an appointment letter dated September 7, 2021, and presented to the Speaker on Thursday, September 30, 2021, at the National Assembly, Abuja, by members of the Oyomesi Council led by the Bashorun of Oyo Kingdom, High Chief Olayinka Ayoola, who is the traditional Prime Minister of Oyo Kingdom and Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu.
“Upon which the Speaker, in turn, accepted the appointment with gratitude to God. However, due to the tight work schedule of the Speaker, the Chieftaincy ceremony could not hold throughout 2021, until this year when the date of May 27, 2022, was agreed with the palace but as God in his majesty will have it, the revered monarch passed on on Friday night before the distribution of invitation cards for the event (May Allah grant him Aljanah Firdaus).
Naturally, the event can no longer hold as the Speaker, the entire Yoruba race, Nigerians home and abroad mourn the demise of the widely respected monarch.”
