FROM EMPIRE TO TOWNSHIP: THE TRUE SCOPE OF OYO'S AUTHORITY

The following Yoruba towns and villages came under the influence of Oyo after the people of Ogbomoso, in a gesture of solidarity, granted them part of their land following the collapse of the Oyo Empire during the Fulani onslaught:

Oyo, Awe, Papa, Tede, Sabe, Akinmorin, Ilora, Tapon, Iseyin, and few other surrounding villages.

It is important to note that this arrangement was later formalized in the last treaty signed between the British authorities and the Alaafin of Oyo, Kabiyesi Adeyemi I, of blessed memory.

The Oyo influence, however, did not, and still does not, extend over the entirety of the present-day Oyo State. The treaty that once defined this sphere of influence has long since expired, and even some of the towns and villages earlier listed are no longer under the direct control of Oyo.

Even the treaty the British signed with Nigeria itself ceased to have validity the moment the country attained independence in 1960. In the same vein, can Oyo truthfully claim authority today over Ogbomoso, Abeokuta, Ijebu, Remo, Owo, Ondo, Ibadan, Ikirun, Ede, Ikale, Ilaje, Ilaro, Akure, Ekiti, Itsekiri, and the many other parts of Yorubaland? The answer is an emphatic NO!

Take Abeokuta, for example: the Egba United Kingdom attained independence as far back as 1830. That sovereignty was only lost with the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates by the British in 1914. Yet, can Abeokuta still lay claim to that independence today? Again, the answer is No.

History must therefore be placed in its proper context. The Oyo Empire, with all its grandeur, military strength, and cultural significance, is now a matter of historical record, an expired, dead, and buried empire. Oyo should no longer cling to the euphoria of old glories, but rather embrace its present role as a cultural symbol of Yoruba heritage.

In today’s reality, the Alaafin’s traditional authority does not extend beyond the Oyo township and its immediate villages. The claim of influence over the entire Yorubaland is neither supported by history as it stands today nor by political reality.