The newly crowned Olúbàdàn of Ìbàdànland, Ọba Akinloyè Owólabí Olàkúlẹ́hìn, Ìgè Olàkúlẹ́hìn 1, might be removed from office if the 2023 Olúbàdàn chieftaincy declaration is to be implemented,
This is according to a Daily Post report.
Ọba Owólabí Olàkúlẹ́hìn was crowned as the 43rd Monarch of the ancient city of Ìbàdàn on Friday, 12th July, 2024.
However, it was observed the new Olúbàdàn chieftaincy declaration, which was signed by governor Seyi Makinde and distributed at the event is at variance with some sections of the previous Olúbàdàn chieftaincy declaration of 1957.
The 1957 declaration says, “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 Chief in that line. Provided that the most Senior Chief in that line may be superseded by a Junior Chief if such senior chief is found to be disqualified as a candidate under the provisions of section 10(2).”
It further provided that:- (a) The field of selection for the purpose of the foregoing provision shall not extend beyond the Ekerin Olubadan on the Olubadan line and the Ekerin Balogun on the Balogun Line.
“The method of selection is as follows: 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.”
However, the newly amended Olubadan chieftaincy declaration 2023, which was made public on Friday, recognised the beaded crown Obas instead of High Chiefs which was in the 1957 declaration.
The new law says that, “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 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.”
Under the new law, the person proposed to be Olubadan must be nominated at a meeting presided over by the most senior beaded crown Oba. However, Olakulehin was nominated at a meeting presided over by the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, on Friday, 12th April, 2024.
Ladoja, a former governor of the state, is a High Chief and not a beaded crown Oba. He is the only High Chief in Ibadan who has refused to wear the beaded crown.
This indicates that the nomination of Olakulehin was not in accordance with the 2023 Olubadan Chieftaincy declaration.
In a similar development, a fresh legal tug-of-war might be brewing in the ancient city of Ìbàdàn over alleged plans to prevent the Ọ̀tún Olúbàdàn of Ìbàdànland, High Chief Ràshídì Adéwọ̀lú Ládọjà, from becoming the Olúbàdàn when the time comes.
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