Soji Ajibola of Nigerian Tribune looks at the various challenges that nearly truncate the succession bid of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland, concluding that with a date now set for his installation, it is a case of ‘all’s well that that ends well’.
IBADAN’S unique traditional system of selecting the city’s paramount ruler, Olubadan of Ibadanland, recently faced a lot of challenges, especially in the appointment of successor to Oba Senator Lekan Balogun, the 42nd Olubadan, who joined his ancestors on March 14, 2024.
Ibadan indigenes, residents as well as other Yoruba and non-Yoruba across the country had expected that the selection of his successor would be seamless and quick due to the established process for ascending the throne, but, interestingly, it has not gone rapidly as envisaged.
In accordance with the age-long tradition, High Chief Owolabi Olakulehin is positioned as the next in line to mount the throne of his forbears, but the division among members of the Olubadan Advisory Council would cause an impasse.
The problem started with the non-recognition of Otun Olubadan, High Chief Senator Rashidi Ladoja, the most senior in the ranking, by other kingmakers as their leader. The argument of some of the kingmakers is that Ladoja had rejected the reform that made the kingmakers traditional rulers and refused to be addressed as oba.
It will be recalled that the Late Oba Balogun crowned members of his Advisory Council as obas at the Mapo Hall with the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, in attendance. The crowned obas had consequently maintained that with their installation they are now members of Olubadan Obas in Council that there is nothing like Olubadan Advisory Council anymore.
But Ladoja’s consistent argument has been that the Olubadan throne is the only paramount traditional institution in Ibadanland and the only one he is ready and willing to take.
He affirmed this position in one of the interviews granted to newsmen in 2023. According to him: “the question is whether I am going to take the crown or not to which I responded that the only acceptable crown to me is that of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.”
His decision not to join others in becoming high chief obas did not go down well as they reportedly threatened that when it is his turn, he will not be nominated as the next Olubadan. But Ladoja who did not take the threat lightly headed to court to prevent the threat from becoming real. Consequently, defendants in the suit filed at the court said that they would not attend any Advisory Council meeting that would have High Chief Ladoja in attendance. The situation dragged on until the Late Olubadan, Oba Balogun joined his ancestors in March 14, 2024.
After the demise of Oba Balogun, tradition required that a meeting would be convened by the most ranking chief, who incidentally is Ladoja. The meeting would formally open the way for the selection process of a new monarch.
Though Ladoja, in accordance with the laid down tradition, called for a meeting that was scheduled to hold at the Olubadan palace at Oja’ba in Ibadan South East Local Government, other members of the council did not honour his invitation. Instead of attending the meeting convened by Ladoja, they held their separate meeting previous day at the same venue where they appointed Oba Eddy Oyewole as their leader. This development culminated in the delay of the selection process of the new Olubadan.
In order to avert imminent crisis, leadership of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) in collaboration with Niyi Ajewole and notable personalities like Chief Bode Amao had to wade into the matter. Several meetings were held on individual and collective basis with the members of the Olubadan Advisory Council. After much persuasion, they resolved to meet to commence the nomination process.
Ladoja convened a meeting which had in attendance all the members of the Advisory Council excluding Oba Tajudeen Ajibola. It was at that meeting that Oba Olakulehin was nominated as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Though his nomination letter was forwarded to Gov Makinde for approval, it witnessed another round of delay. Makinde, it was gathered, withheld his approval as a result of a pending case in the court on the subject matter.
The litigant, Ladoja while defending his action said he took the legal route because of the threat to his kingship ambition issued by other high chiefs, promising in an interview that if the high chiefs withdrew their threat he would stop the court case: “If they withdraw their threat, I will withdraw the case,” he had said disclosing later that he and other chiefs were already in discussion.
“Myself and other members of Olubadan-in-Council have been sitting together and talking. We have accepted to withdrawal the case from court.
“I heard that they have started signing the agreement. After all of them had signed, I will also sign my own aspect, and the next day, we will file for withdrawal of the case from court.”
But other high chiefs, who are defendants in the suit, while confirming that they were already holding meetings with Ladoja said there was no need for signing of any settlement paper as they had already abided by the 1957 declaration. Oba Gbadamosi Adebimpe while speaking on behalf of other defendants insisted that event had overtaken the term of reference as contained in the agreement paper, hence no need to sign it.
He said that they had resolved to comply with the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration which empowers the most Senior High Chief who is High Chief Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja to convene the meeting of Olubadan in Council. According to him, events have overtaken the terms of settlement as stated in the paper being prepared for us to append our signatures.
“We have read through it and discovered that the terms of settlement have been met which is a strict compliance with the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration.
“We realized that our actions and deeds must be in accordance with the 1957 Declaration. That is why we honoured his invitation for a meeting for the nomination of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.
“He had called a similar meeting that we all refused to attend but we were later made to know that we had acted contrary to the provision of the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration. Our attendance at the meeting showed that we are complying with the Declaration.
“The nomination letter is with the state government. What is left now is for High Chief Ladoja to withdraw the pending case in court in order to facilitate the installation of the new Olubadan.”
Speaking in the same vein, the Asipa Olubadan, Oba Abiodun Kola Daisi, had disclosed that similar scenario of litigation played itself out two years ago when the governor insisted that he would not give any approval for enthronement of new monarch until the case is withdrawn.
According to him, “We had similar problem before the installation of the immediate past Kabiyesi, Late Oba Lekan Balogun. We instituted a court case against the government, because of this, the governor insisted that he would not approve the installation of the new Olubadan until the case is withdrawn.
“The plaintiffs in the suit, 10 of us, came together and withdrew the case unconditionally from the court. Two years down the lane, same situation is playing itself out again. There is a case in court, not from our side but from our Otun Olubadan who has insisted that he would not join rank with us as crown wearing kings but today the matter has been resolved. The new Olubadan has been recommended. We are waiting for the approval from the government but there is a case in the court that needs to be withdrawn.
“The terms of settlement as contained in the agreement paper that we are expected to sign has been overtaken by event. We are asked to sign that we will abide by the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration. We are already doing that. What are we signing again? The summary of the terms of settlement is that we are going to follow the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration in choosing another Olubadan.
“What the Declaration says is that Otun Olubadan, the highest ranking on the other side will convene the meeting of the kingmakers. He called the meeting the first time but we refused to attend because our status are different. But we realized that we have acted outside the Declaration as we later complied with his directives.”
In spite of their disagreement, Ladoja eventually withdrew the case but another matter cropped up which is the health status of Oba Olakulehin. Some members of the group argued that Olakulehin was not fit to be enthroned as the next Olubadan.
Their argument was corroborated by Governor Makinde at the final funeral rite of the late Oba Balogun when he said, he has received the nomination of Oba Olakulehin but he would be installed when he is strong as the next Olubadan.
But such a position was faulted by Ladoja as he argued that “It is the town that crowns Olubadan, not the governor. The person that is saddled with that responsibility is the Oluwo of Ibadanland.
“If the governor had said that ‘I am going to give him Staff of office and instrument of office when I know that he is well enough’, I can concede to that one.
“If you are not in government, you might not know what is going on. The governor might have sent doctor to go and assess the medical status of Baba. The governor might have had access to his medical records. The governor might have used an Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assess him.
“I can concede to that if he believes that he is not fit enough to be presented a Staff of Office and Instrument of Office. But as far as I am concerned, he is our own Olubadan of Ibadanland.
“I am the head of the kingmakers, (Afobaje) of Ibadanland today. I called a meeting for the selection process of the new king. The governor confirmed that we followed due process and that he has accepted our recommendation and that he has even approved it.
“With this, there is nothing stopping Olakulehin from being crowned as the next Olubadan. The only thing that may stop him now is non-presentation of staff of office and instrument of office which is the property of the government.
“But the question of whether he is medically fit or not is left for the people of Ibadanland to determine. We have not faced this kind of situation before, but as it is now there is need to differentiate between the role of the government and that of the people.
“The role of the government is to present the Staff of Office and Instrument of Office to the new monarch. The governor is not there when the Oluwo of Ibadanland is performing the installation rites. There is a laid down process. Olubadan designate spends 15 days in seclusion traditionally known as Ipebi after which he will proceed to Oluwo for the presentation of crown.
“The process is rounded off with the presentation of Staff of Office and Instrument of Office by the governor,” Ladoja had explained.
A few days after, the immediate past Commissioner for Local government, Segun Olayiwola in a statement confirmed the approval of Oba Olakulehin as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.
But whatever misgiving Ibadan indigenes may have about the delay has finally ended. On Friday, June 28, 2024, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, announced that the Oyo State governor will present Staff of Office to Oba Owolabi Olakunlehin on July 12, 2024.
Oyelade, while admonishing the public and dismissing the insinuations that Makinde’s action was targeting a particular person, urged them to “learn to be patient and believe an administration that has not let them down in five years.” He promised that people of Oyo State and Ibadan in particular would witness a spectacular coronation and presentation of staff of office to the new Olubadan of Ibadanland on Friday, July 12.