The incessant face-off between the governor of Oyo State, Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde and former governor Rashidi Ladoja deepened last week, after the amended 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration was made public.
Apparently to send the message to Ladoja, copies of the reviewed declaration were inserted in the pamphlets of the coronation ceremony of the new Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin. In fact, City People exclusively gathered that the program was a bit delayed from taking off in other to get the declaration across to guests at the coronation ceremony. To many, the amended declaration is not only targeted at Ladoja but also believed to be a grand plan by Governor Makinde to stop him from becoming Olubadan when it’s his turn. High Chief Ladoja, being the next-in-line to the current Olubadan, is the most senior High Chief in the Otun Olubadan Line. So the amendment in the declaration is seen in different quarters as Makinde’s way of getting revenge against Ladoja who did not support his re-election bid in 2023.
According to a part of section 4 of the amended and already gazetted declaration by the Oyo State House of Assembly, “The line whose turn it is to present a candidate shall nominate a Candidate for the Chieftaincy at a meeting of the kingmakers to be summoned by the most Senior Beaded Crown Oba of the Chieftaincy line not presenting the Candidate. The document further stated that “The person who may be proposed as candidate by line whose turn it is to fill a vacancy in the Office of Olubadan shall be the most Senior Beaded Crown Oba in that line among the line presenting the candidate; majority decision of the kingmakers shall be final.”
This, of course, is against the 1957 declaration which states that the most senior High Chief in the line whose turn it’s to fill a vacancy in the office of the Olubadan may be proposed as candidate. And that the line whose turn it is to present a candidate shall nominate a candidate for Chieftaincy at a meeting of the Kingmakers summoned by the most Senior Chief of Chieftaincy line not presenting the candidate.
Recall that Ladoja was the only High Chief among the recognised kingmakers of Ibadanland who insisted that it was illegal and strange for a person who set out to be an Olubadan to be given a different crown along the line. Ladoja not only rejected the crown but dragged governor Seyi Makinde, the late immediate Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun and 10 members of the Olubadan-in-Council who were elevated to kingship position, to court over the chieftaincy law review. He later dropped the charges in other to pave the way for the emergence of the current Olubadan. The document tagged ‘New Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration’ since it was made public has, however, generated all kinds of reactions from the concerned Indigenes of Ibadan. Especially the elders and major stakeholders in the political circles of the ancient city who have swung into action to make sure that the issue doesn’t escalate to a bigger problem.
There has been reactions and counter reactions as well as different kinds of analysis on how the crisis, if not nipped in the bud, could disrupt not only the harmonious relationship among Ibadan Indigenes but also the peaceful Obaship system of the ancient town. In fact, some have argued that the new Olubadan may be removed from office if the 2023 Olubadan Chieftaincy declaration is to be followed to the letter. Their point is that Oba Olakulehin’s nomination was presided over by most senior High Chief Ladoja as the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland not as the most senior beaded crown Oba as stipulated in the new gazette. Meanwhile, as the innuendos over the amended Olubadan declaration persist, the government had come out to absolve itself from any plan to stop somebody from becoming Olubadan. The government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, felt it’s too early and improper for discussion on the next Olubadan when a new Olubadan has just been coronated.
“it is embarrassing that few days after the coronation and presentation of staff of office to the new Olubadan, HIM Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, Ige Olakulehin I, some citizens are already looking over the shoulders of the new Oba and ascribing the government gazette that implemented the recommendation of the Ibadan Chieftaincy Review Committee to a ploy to disqualify certain individuals,” Oyelade said.
Oyelade explained further that after all, the Ibadan Chieftaincy Review was never governor Makinde’s idea but that of late Olubadan Oba Lekan Balogun. That it took an extensive consultation and deliberation of the review committee before they could come up with their recommendations. The commissioner revealed that the late Oba Balogun, Alli Okumade II, in a signed letter to governor Makinde and dated February 5th, 2023, proposed that the reform be incorporated into the Ibadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957.
Of course, the frosty relationship between Makinde and Ladoja didn’t just start yesterday. It has been there all this while. Their once cordial ‘father and son’ relationship, as a matter of fact, hit the rock in 2023 when Ladoja withdrew his support for Makinde’s re-election bid. Many were shocked to see Ladoja, who led a coalition of parties to successfully back Makinde for election in 2019, publicly rejected him and supported Senator Teslim Folarin of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The former governor said he was disappointed in Makinde for his role in the major defeats suffered by the senatorial and House of Representatives candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections. Though Ladoja congratulated Makinde after his re-election victory but it has been a total war between the two since then. And this has reflected in several issues involving the two gladiators thereafter.
A typical example of such was the delay in the confirmation of the new Olubadan by the state government. There were all kinds of insinuations-some said the delay was also targeted at Ladoja who was seen as a major beneficiary should the health of Oba Olakulehin had deteriorated then. That was why governor Makinde’s statement at the final burial of late Olubadan Oba Lekan Balogun was greeted with condemnations from many people. Governor Makinde had said that the then Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, will be installed as the next Olubadan as soon as he was strong enough. Responding to Makinde’s comment, Ladoja said Governor Makinde lacks the power to crown the new Olubadan of Ibadan land. He maintained that it is the people of Ibadanland that will crown the Olubadan, and that the governor’s role is only to present the staff and instrument of office to the new monarch. In his words “It is the Oluwo of Ibadan land who crowns a new Olubadan and not the Governor. “The Olubadan will be crowned at lle Ose-Meji, from where he will go to Mapo for the governor to present him the staff and instrument of office.”
Ladoja however insisted that his relationship with governor Makinde remained cordial. But another recent occurrence which suggests that all may not be well and that Ladoja and Makinde are not in good terms was when Ladoja was conspicuously absent at an event marking two major projects named after him.
While the governor was hosting the sod-turning ceremony for Senator Rashidi Ladoja GRA and the official flag off of the construction of the 32km first phase of the Ibadan Circular Road, Senator Ladoja was at Mapo Hall for the 8-day fidau prayer for late Oba Lekan Balogun. This has been the situation between the two for a while now but they have been painting a different picture for the general public. The question is, can there be total reconciliation between them and when?
-Dare Adeniran
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