President Bola Tinubu welcomed the newly crowned Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, to the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, marking the monarch’s first official visit since his enthronement on April 12, 2025.
The meeting took place in the afternoon, following Jumaat prayers, and came shortly after the president’s closed-door session with top security chiefs and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
During Oba Owoade’s coronation in Oyo, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Tinubu, the monarch was urged to promote Yoruba unity and contribute to Nigeria’s overall cohesion.
Oba Owoade succeeded Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the 45th Alaafin of Oyo, who passed away at 83 on April 22, 2022. The new king officially received his staff and instrument of office on January 13, 2025, in Ibadan, at the Governor’s Office.
He completed the traditional 21-day Oro Ipebi rites on March 29, 2025, finalizing his ceremonial responsibilities. At 47 years old, Oba Owoade hails from the prominent Owoade-Agunloye royal lineage in Oyo Town and is the son of Aremo Aderounmu Iyanda Owoade, from the Agure Compound in Oyo.