Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has vowed not to give anyone the chance to cause a crisis over the Olubadan stool.
The Governor, who spoke on Wednesday, when his deputy, Barrister Bayo Lawal, led other Muslim functionaries on a courtesy visit to his Ikolaba residence, shortly after observing the Eld-Fitri prayer warned individuals peddling divisive tendencies over the matter to desist from such acts.
“Some people have kept talking about the Ibadan Chieftaincy System, saying it has got issues and all of that. But I said the Obas-in-Council are yet to make their nomination. When they make it, it will come to me and I will either say yes or no. But that has not happened. So, why are people focusing on things that are capable of dividing us?
“Those whose stock in trade is to keep looking for what to divide us should look for something else to do. They should rather focus on things that will unite us,” he said.
The Olubadan stool became vacant as a result of the passage of the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Mahood Olalekan Balogun, and a silent war has been raging for a while between the High Chiefs turned Obas, and High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the only Chief who refused to be crowned as a lesser Ọba.
Meanwhile, Ladoja has attributed his decision to institute a case against other members of the Olubadan-in-Council to a threat to his ambition to be the Olubadan in the future.
“What brought about the case is their threat to my ambition. They said Ladoja has not taken the crown, so when it comes to his turn to be nominated as Olubadan, we will look the other way. If they drop their threat, I will drop my own. It is not a question of saying Ladoja is in court. What for?
“I did not go to court because they took the crown. It is because they threatened me. I did not take the Baales to court because I know their territory. If you say you are Onijaiye, we know where Ijaiye is. I am Otun Olubadan. The whole of Ibadan is my territory. The crown is a way of enhancing the prestige of the person that wears it,” he said.
Barring unforseen circumstances, High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja is the next in line to be the Supreme Authority over Ibadanland once the Olubadan-designate ascends the throne.
Join our WhatsApp community via https://goquick.ly/cj8q2 for instant and latest news updates.
