Amid the crisis surrounding the stool of the Olubadan, 10 out of 11 Olubadan in council have on Wednesday endorsed the appointment of Lekan Balogun as the next ruler of the ancient city.
At the meeting which was held in Mapo hall, Ibadan, the 10 high chiefs said that there is no court case stopping them from appointing the new Olubadan.
However, during the meeting, Rashid Ladoja, the Osi Olubadan was not in attendance.
Read Also: Just In: Olubadan Of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji Dead At 93
The development was disclosed by Osi Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola during a briefing on Wednesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Ajibola told newsmen that the decision by the kingmakers to make Dr Balogun the new Olubadan was in accordance with the tradition.
He noted that anything said or done outside the decision should be ignored, adding that there is no iota of truth in the rumour making the rounds about who would become the Olubadan.
“We have endorsed the Otun Olubadan, Senator Lekan Balogun as the next Olubadan”, Ajibola expressed.
He further stated:
I enjoin you all to discard with all unfounded rumours and insinuations capable of disturbing the peace of Ibadanland, irrespective of the quarter from which such fake news emanate.
In line with the traditional practice of Ibadanland when an occasion like this arises, the Olubadan-in-Council has been up and doing liaising with the Oyo state government to ensure that every necessary step to sustain the peace of the city is strictly followed.
On the issue that Lekan Balogun had already worn a beaded crown and cannot be made an Oba twice, Ajibola said those involved then were only appointed to hold domains and not rulers of the entire city.
According to the high chief, “we were only Royal and not Imperial majesties”, adding that the administration of the late Abiola Ajimobi did not tamper with the Ibadan chieftaincy declaration of 1957 by elevating them from high chiefs to kings.
Back in 2017, late Jimoh Ajimobi Oyo presented certificates and staff of office to 24 chiefs, who were among the 33 elevated to the status of Obas in Ibadan.
The event marked a turning point in the history of the ancient city, which used to have the Olubadan of Ibadanland as the only beaded crown wearing oba, in its 11 Local Governments and with a population of about four million.
The 11 members of the Olubadan-in-council were elevated to the status of Oba, with the prefix of ‘his royal majesty,’ but only eight were available for the event, following the death of two high chiefs and the refusal of Osi Olubadan, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, to be part of the process.
However, following the death of Oba Saliu Adetunji on Sunday, there has been controversy over who becomes the next Ibadan king.
Although Balogun is next in line as the most senior high chief, Michael Lana, the former attorney-general of Oyo, had written Seyi Makinde, the state governor, asking him not to recognise Balogun as the next king.
He had argued that since Balogun and other high chiefs in the council, except Rashidi Ladoja, had been crowned king by the late Ajimobi, it is illegal to elevate any of them to the throne of Olubadan.
Background
The hierarchical arrangement in the Ibadan system has a two line approach, the Balogun system and the Olubadan (Otun) system.
Olubadans are appointed on rotational basis to occupy the stool on the death of a monarch. The next to Olubadan and most senior on both lines are the Otun Olubadan and Balogun.
Prior to his coronation, late Oba Adetunji was the Balogun of Ibadan land which indicates that the Otun Olubadan, Senator Lekan Balogun should be next in line according to the rotational system.
