As the process of selecting the next Alaafin of Oyo continues, the Oyomesi (kingmakers), will soon commence the screening of 119 persons that applied to fill the vacant stool. Head of princes in Oyo town, High Chief Mukaila Afonja, popularly known as Baba Iyaji, disclosed this while speaking to Tribune Online.
He said that the ball is presently in Oyomesi’s court, where the applications were transmitted to.
Baba Iyaji, who didn’t give a specific date for the commencement of the exercise, said the screening of the 119 princes from the various royal families that applied before July 15, will begin soon.
He noted that the Oyomesi had started working on the applications, stressing that the applicants would be invited for screening either in fives or 10s.
Baba Iyaji explained that the applicants would be scrutinised on their educational qualifications, schools attended, age, vision, aim and objectives for Oyo town, if they emerge.
He added that Oyomesi wants the prospective Alaafin to have a rich sense of history, be educated, experienced, healthy, and have a good command of both English and Yoruba Languages.
Afonja said several stages of the screening exercise will hold in the coming weeks, which he noted are targeted at pruning down the number of applicants to just a few before consulting the oracle (Ifa) for direction on picking the successor to the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III.