Ibadan High Chiefs Fault Ex-Oyo AG on Appointment of New Olubadan

•Say letter self-serving

•Makinde: New Olubadan’ll sustain predecessor’s legacy of peace

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The last may not have been heard on the crisis over the appointment of new Olubadan of Ibadanland, as the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Lekan Balogun, and other members of the Olubadan-in-Council, yesterday faulted the letter written by a former Attorney General (AG) and Commissioner of Justice in Oyo State, Mr. Michael Lana, in which he highlighted impediments to the ascension to the Olubadan stool.

This is just as Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, yesterday, commended the peaceful reign of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Oguguniso 1, adding that he was confident his successor would sustain his legacy of peace.

Makinde, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, at the third Day Special Interfaith and Prayer Service, held at the Popoyemoja Palace of the late Olubadan, assured the people that the incoming Olubadan would continue in the same peaceful fashion.

But the High Chiefs in the letter addressed to Governor Seyi Makinde, by their solicitors, K. Eleja, Prof. Wahab Egbewole and Adekunle Sobaloju, argued that the letter by Lana, was not a true representation of the law and facts.

They stated that he goofed by saying that the governor should not be in a haste to appoint Balogun as the next Olubadan.

According to them, the law regarding the ascension to the Olubadan stool was the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration and the subsequent government decisions thereon, noting that the rights of the High Chiefs in line to the ascension to the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadan was guaranteed and cannot be eroded by a conferment of rights to wear beaded crown as High Chiefs of Ibadanland.

They maintained that it was on record that none of the High Chiefs was at any point in time appointed or installed as Olubadan of Ibadanland or vested with the rights to wear beaded crown as Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The High Chiefs in the letter dated January 4, copied the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said the conclusion of Lana in his letter was self-serving, unfounded and a gross misconception of the purport of the restructuring of the Ibadan chieftaincy order administration of former governor, late Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

The letter read, “Re: Installation of New Olubadan Of Ibadanland.”

“We are Solicitors to the Olubadan in Council who are the Kingmakers for the Olubadan of Ibadan hereinafter referred to as our clients and on their resolute instruction we write this letter.

“Our clients just brought to our notice a letter dated January 3, 2022 written by Michael F. Lana Esq. wherein he urged your excellency not to approve the appointment of any High Chief as Olubadan on the ground that the Ibadan High Chiefs are Obas and that there is a pending suit 1/22/2020 before the court.

“We wish to state that the content of the said letter is not a true representation of the law and the facts on the ascension to the Olubadan stool and we have our client’s instruction to debunk the misconception and controversy being whipped up by the content of the said letter.

“First, the law as regards ascension to the Olubadan stool is the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration and the subsequent Government decisions thereon and the rights of the High Chiefs in line to the ascension to the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadan is guaranteed therein as it was not and cannot be eroded by a conferment of rights to wear beaded crown as High Chiefs of Ibadanland as it is on record that none of the High Chiefs was at any point in time appointed or installed as Olubadan of Ibadanland or vested with the rights to wear beaded crown as Olubadan of Ibadanland,” they stated.

According to them, the position, ranking and status of the high chiefs of Ibadanland and their rights of ascendancy to the Olubadan stool was never at any time altered by the Oyo State Government.

“All that was done was to confer on the high chiefs the right to wear beaded crown pursuant to the enabling statute in this regard. The conferment of the right to wear beaded crowns on the High Chiefs did not elevate any of the Chiefs to the status of the Olubadan of Ibadanland as the Olubadan at all times remained the paramount king and ruler of Ibadanland with the position of an emperor and addressed as “His imperial Majesty” while each of the high chiefs who are lesser to the Olubadan are referred to as “His Royal Majesty” and they remained in their respective lines and ranks on the Olubadan ascendancy chain and have always retained their respective positions as Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, Balogun of Ibadan, etc.

“The conclusion of Mr. Michael Lana is therefore self-serving, unfounded and a gross misconception of the purport of the restructuring of the Ibadan chieftaincy order by the previous administration in Oyo State.

“The pending suit. i.e Suit No. 1/22/2020 which has been adjourned for judgment has nothing to do with the right of succession to the stool of Olubadan, the suit was filed by the High Chiefs and Traditional Rulers of Towns and Villages in Ibadanland to set aside the consent judgment which nullified the Gazette vesting on each of them the right to wear beaded crowns and coronets.

“The suit therefore dwells mainly on whether it was proper to divest the claimants of vested rights through a consent judgment entered into by their adversaries without any consultation with them or their consent.

“We unequivocally state that we are not aware of any suit or any order of a competent court of law as at today which restrains the Oyo State Government from kick starting the process of filling the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadanland or from approving the appointment of any person next in line of succession to the throne as the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

“An unsolicited, jaundiced, misconceived and warped opinion of a counsel who did not disclose his quo warranto cannot metamorphose to an order of court capable of stopping His Excellency from exercising his statutory power of approving the candidate selected by the Olubadan in Council to fill the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

“It is also on record that the High Chiefs were conferred with the right to wear beaded crowns on the 27 of August, 2017, und immediately thereafter during the subsistence of suits filed by Chief Rasheed Ladoja and others challenging the action that there was a vacancy in the Balogun line and HRM Oba Gbadamosi Adebimpe was elevated from Ashipa Balogun to Osi Balogun and HRM Dr. Kolawole Adegbola was also elevated from Ekarun Balogun to Ashipa Balogun by the Late Olubadan and the elevations were approved by Your Excellency inspite of the subsistence of the suits in court and their status as beaded crown wearing Obas and heaven did not fall.

“We equally reiterate that there is no controversy whatsoever within the Olubadan in Council and the entire Ibadanland as to the candidate next in line to fill the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadanland other than the unnecessary dust raised in the letter of M.F Lana Esq as we do not see how the judgment of the court in suit 1/22/2020, whichever way it goes, can in any way affect the right of the Kingmakers to select the candidate next in line to fill the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.”

Meanwhile, a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor to have said the late Olubadan was a peace-loving father for all, adding that his six years reign was wonderful to the people of Ibadan and Oyo State at large.

“So, the state government is promising that the coming of the new Olubadan will also be peaceful,” he added.

Earlier before the Fidau prayers by Muslim clerics, Bishop Samuel Olawode of Maranatha Cathedral, at a Christian funeral service, compared the late monarch to King Hezekiah in the Bible and recounted his disposition to religious tolerance.

Also in his sermon, Prof. Khamil Olosho, emphasised the need for righteous living, bearing in mind that death, judgment, reward and after life would be the finality of mankind.

According to him, the message was predicated on the fact that, “After this life, there will be another life, where we will account for our deeds in this world. Anybody, who does good will inherit paradise in the hereafter and anyone, who does bad will be cast into hell-fire.

“So, we pray that the Almighty God will protect our Baba in a way that he will scale through interrogations on the day of judgement, so that at the end of the day, he will gain paradise.”

There were Quaranic recitations coordinated by Islamic clerics as well as Islamic prayers coordinated by the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Abdulganeey Agbotomokekere, for the late monarch.

The Fidau prayer had in attendance, the High Chiefs of Ibadanland, Rashidi Ladoja, Osi Olubadan; Olufemi Olaifa, Otun Balogun; Tajudeen Ajibola, Osi Balogun; Amidu Ajibade, Ekaarun Olubadan; Lateef Gbadamosi, Ashipa Balogun Olubadan and Abiodun Kola-Daisi, Ekerin Olubadan.

Also, the Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Alao; Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Fadeyi; Commissioners, Special Advisers and Special Assistants to the Governor; President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, Chief Yemisi Adeaga, other CCII members, Ibadan elders; clerics and other government officials.