The position of Alaafin in Yorubaland

The Alaafin was carefully selected and commanded enormous respect. No man could be considered for elevation to the imperial throne unless he was directly descended from Oranyan. The founder of Old Oyo...(Stride and Ifeka; P.298 quoted by Ayittey 2012).

The position of Alaafin in Yorubaland had never been in doubt, though some do still not want to agree. Indeed, right from the outset, Oduduwa did not make mistakes by ordained Oranyan as the head, even with the physical presence of his father (Okanbi) and other children. The trend naturally continued after Oranyan, even till today.

This manifested in the tremendous influence of Oyo Empire and the Alaafins on the emergency of Yoruba as united nation. Throughout the ages, Alaafins welded so much power that no one challenged them. Anyone that dare challenged became accursed and doomed. In fact, their traces are no more on the pages of history.
However, in as much as we will not dwell on this factual but contested issue. There is need to bring forth some salient historical issues that clearly illuminate position of Alaafin in Yorubaland.

First, the great political memoranda of Lord Lights (memo No. IX titled: Native Administrator, dated August 1917) capped it all when the paragraph 26, page 307 ranked the Sultan of Sokoto and the Alaafin of Oyo as the heads of Northern Provinces and the Southern Provinces respectively.

The above was reinforced by the Oyo Province Annual Report, 1920-21 published in the Federal Government Ministry of Information and National Archives, Ibadan where it was reported thus:

"The provinces of Oyo as constituted at present was formed on 1st January 1914 and comprises that part of the territory occupied by the Yoruba-speaking of the kingdom of Oyo known as the Yoruba land under the Alaafin of Oyo, of Ilesha it's Owa, of Ife under Ooni...."

Because of expansion and for administrative convenience, many Provinces sprung up and carved out of old Oyo Empire