(a) State three (3) institutions in Yoruba Pre-colonial political system of administration. (b) Explain four (4) checks and balances that existed in Yoruba ...

Answer Details

(a) Three institutions in the Yoruba pre-colonial political system

1. The Oba (King): The Oba was the political and spiritual head of the kingdom, regarded as sacred and second only to the gods, who reigned with the advice of his chiefs.
2. The Oyo Mesi (Council of Kingmakers): This was the council of hereditary state chiefs, headed by the Bashorun, which selected the Alaafin and advised and checked him in the running of the kingdom.
3. The Ogboni Cult (Council): A powerful secret society of titled elders and religious leaders that performed judicial and religious functions and acted as a check on both the Oba and the Oyo Mesi.

(The Aare Ona Kakanfo, the supreme military commander, was another important institution.)

(b) Four checks and balances in the Yoruba pre-colonial system

1. The Oyo Mesi could check the Alaafin: If the Alaafin became tyrannical, the Oyo Mesi, through the Bashorun, could reject him by presenting him with an empty calabash or parrot's eggs, a symbol requiring him to commit suicide.
2. The Ogboni checked the Oyo Mesi: The Ogboni council could veto or restrain the decisions of the Oyo Mesi, so the kingmakers themselves were not left unchecked.
3. The Alaafin's religious authority checked the chiefs: As a sacred ruler with control over religious rites and appointments, the Alaafin commanded loyalty and could restrain the ambitions of the chiefs.
4. The Aare Ona Kakanfo and the army: The war chief, who lived outside the capital, balanced the power of the palace, while control of the army was deliberately separated from the Alaafin to prevent him from becoming a despot.