Ahead of the Ibadan Week, an annual event that brings together indigenes and residents of Ibadan to celebrate the city’s rich cultural heritage, history, unity and development, calls have emerged for the selection of a politically neutral personality to oversee the event.
Coalition for Ibadan Political and Economic Development, under the chairmanship of Mr. Akeem Ayilara, made the call in a statement made available to journalists on Monday in Ibadan.
The group urged the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) to review the selection of Mogaji Gbolagade Moshood Akere as Chairman of the Ibadan Week committee and consider a neutral and apolitical personality for the position.
Ayilara said the person saddled with the responsibility of coordinating an event as significant as Ibadan Week should be someone who could command the confidence of Ibadan indigenes across political divides.
Akere, who is a member of the APM, recently defended the decision of some Ibadan Mogajis to support Governor Seyi Makinde ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to Ayilara, the group was not questioning Akere’s right to hold personal political views or support a political party, but maintained that the leadership of Ibadan Week required a person who could be seen as politically neutral.
“Our position is not about denying anybody the right to belong to a political party or support a candidate of his choice. The issue is that Ibadan Week should be chaired by somebody who is neutral and apolitical, so that everybody can have a sense of belonging,” Ayilara said.
He also stressed the traditional relationship between Mogajis and the Olubadan institution, saying political differences should not be allowed to affect the unity of Ibadan’s traditional structure.
“All Mogajis are under the Olubadan. Therefore, when we are talking about an event that is supposed to bring Ibadan people together, we should be careful about putting somebody who is politically involved in a position where neutrality is expected,” he said.
According to Ayilara, Ibadan Week should remain a platform for celebrating the history, culture, unity and development of Ibadanland, rather than being associated with the political interests of any individual.
He urged the CCII to look beyond political affiliations and consider a respected Ibadan indigene who is not actively involved in partisan politics and can bring stakeholders together.
“We are calling on the CCII to look for a neutral Ibadan indigene who can unite people across political lines. Ibadan Week belongs to all of us, and whoever leads it must be somebody who can represent everybody fairly,” Ayilara added.
The group maintained that its call was not a personal attack on Akere, but an appeal for fairness, neutrality and inclusiveness in the administration of Ibadan Week.
Ayilara further urged the CCII to review the selection in the interest of the unity and development of Ibadanland, saying the credibility of the event would be strengthened when its leadership is seen to be independent of partisan political interests.
He added that while every Ibadan indigene has the right to express his or her political preference, such individual choices should not necessarily determine who occupies positions expected to serve the collective interests of the people.
