•Speaks On Olubadan Chieftaincy Issue
There have been back and forth arguments over who to be installed next as Olubadan of Ibadanland since Oba Saliu Adetunji joined his ancestors two weeks ago.
Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, the Aje Ogungunniso 1, who ascended the throne on 4th March 2016, as the 41st Olubadan, passed on in the early hours of Sunday 2nd January 2022, at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. He was aged 93.
The next person in line, according to the rotational system of Ibadan chieftaincy settings, is High Chief Lekan Balogun, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland. While some have insisted that the existing ascendance protocols to the throne be strictly followed for the next Olubadan to emerge. Others, however, are on the contrary. Citing the fact that all the High Chiefs, except for the former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, have been previously crowned as Obas during late former governor Ajimobi-led administration, they should be excused from the Olubadan throne.
It would be recalled that the Ajimobi-led administration made an attempt to reform the Olubadan chieftaincy laws and the 1957 declaration. Which led to the promotion of some Baales and High Chiefs to the position of Obas. The move didn’t only polarize the Olubadan-In-Council but also set Ibadan Mogajis against one another.
But immediately the present governor, Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde assumed office in 2019, the reform process came to a halt and all parties were reconciled. Cases were settled out of court and some Senior Chief, whose promotions were affected as a result of the crisis, were promoted, for the peace and unity of Ibadanland.
Below are the details of Senator Lekan Balogun’s exclusive interview with City People’s DARE ADENIRAN (08057639079), shortly after the Reconciliation Committee’s visit to Oba Adetunji. Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Lekan Balogun; former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, the Osi Olubadan and Eekarun Olubadan were part of the team that visited the palace of Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji then. The purpose of their visit was specifically to brief the Olubadan on the reconciliation process they have embarked upon, in order to restore peace and unity between the members of Olubadan-in-Council and Olubadan.
During the interview, Senator Lekan Balogun was able to shed more light on the crisis that led to division amongst Olubadan-in-Council back then. Enjoy it.
You are one of the High Chiefs who aligned with the position of the immediate past government on the reformation of Olubadan chieftaincy laws, which has since polarised the Olubadan-In-Council. But now you have gone back to the palace, what has changed?
Let me first of all correct you that I am not a High Chief, I am an Oba. I didn’t also align, the government processed a reform that elevated us into kings. Absolutely nothing has changed. What we want is unity and peace in Ibadan land. The issue of Obaship is not an issue, the issue of unity and peace in Ibadanland is our concern. And that is what we are trying to restore. We have been meeting with Olubadan fortnightly as usual and that would be resolving all the differences.
“The issue of Obaship is not part of settlement process”. The primary concern for us is restoring peace and unity in Ibadanland. “The question of Obaship can only be resolved by the reigning government or by a court of law”. The matter is in court already. It would be lawless to preempt the court process and say we are not Obas anymore or say we are insisting on being Obas. We are just going to be silent on that and be holding our meetings. These processes will lead to total reconciliation.
If the other Obas are aware of all these why then did they address a press conference to say you misrepresented them at the Olubadan palace?
They had their meeting on Sunday evening, I think. And we had our meeting on Monday. The Monday meeting had overtaken the events of the Sunday, which the media, unfortunately, reported on Tuesday. One or two of those who were at the Sunday Press Conference were also at Mapo, and they commended our efforts of being with Olubadan.
Some people want to believe there must have been a crisis within the Olubadan-In-Council before the reform issue came up?
We had no crisis, we were united. Olubadan and I were very close during the reign of Oba Odulana Odugade.
Were you still very close while the reform crisis was on?
It affected us a little bit, but it is nothing much really.
The other Obas in their press conference alleged that Olubadan’s wife is meddling into the affairs of the Council, which they are not comfortable with?
All that will be part of discussions in the course of the reconciliation process.
So with the reconciliation process and all, are you still an Oba?
Of course, I am still an Oba, but that is not the issue. That we are not Obas may be initiated only by a court of law or by government. There is a gazette that made me an Oba and as long as that gazette remains so, nobody can say I am not an Oba. There was a reform, and only the reigning government can change the reform or the court of law would overturn the reform.
But it is not for you and I to say whether or not I am not an Oba. I am an Oba and all of us are Obas.
There is this notion in some quarters that the reform of Olubadan chieftaincy laws carried out by the Ex-Gov Ajimobi-led administration had a political undertone, that it was targeted at Senator Rashidi Ladoja?
No, far from it. Ladoja is the Osi Olubadan, I am the Otun. He is after me. So, how can they target him? He is my brother, he is my friend. We are very close. He is not the next one, I am the next one to the Olubadan and after me, there is Balogun before the turn of Osi Olubadan.
What happens to the existing rotational system to Olubadan throne if the court rules in your favour?
That means everything continues as it is. I don’t even know what we are quarrelling for in the first instance. The reform didn’t touch the structure of Olubadan chieftaincy. I was the Otun Olubadan before the reform, I still remain the Otun Olubadan after the reform.
Won’t there be a kind of contradiction for one to be an Oba and still be in the Olubadan line?
It is a hierarchical arrangement in the Ibadan system; it is a two-line approach, the Balogun system and the Olubadan (Otun) system. So, after the Otun Olubadan who is the head of the Olubadan system, Balogun comes next and that is the head of the Balogun line. Then it becomes the turn of Osi Olubadan and so on and so forth. It is a well-established arrangement, nobody can do anything about it.
Nomenclature is all that changed, instead of saying High Chief, we say Oba Lekan Balogun, it doesn’t change anything in terms of structure. I still remain the Otun Olubadan, Balogun remains Balogun, Osi Olubadan remains Osi Olubadan etc.
Nomenclature changed and we are quarrelling about it as if there was more to it than meets the eye. Ibadan is just catching up with the rest of Yoruba land; there are 53 Obas in Lagos. If you go to Ekiti the same story, Ife, Ondo, Ijebu, Egba and the rest, it is the same story.
But the only superior aspect of our reform is that nothing changed in the hierarchical settings of Ibadan. The 53 Obas in Lagos were demarcated into small units, there is no demarcation in Ibadan.
I remain Otun Olubadan of Ibadan land, Eekarun Balogun of Ibadan land and so on and so forth. We still remain one unit in Ibadan land.
-Dare Adeniran
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