Politics of 42nd Olubadan throne ascension

BAYO AGBOOLA writes that all eyes are now on the ancient city of Ibadan over who the Oyo state government will finally endorse as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland after the demise of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji who joined his ancestors on Monday, January 3, 2022 at the age of 93.

Wednesday, January 5 2022
ten of the eleven kingmakers in Ibadanland who doubled as members of the Olubadan-in-Council, at a world press conference announced the appointment and approval of the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun as the Olubadan-elect. 

Otun Olubadan High Chief Lekan Balogun is the next in rank to the late Olubadan Adetunji as the Olubadan elect. 

The High Chiefs told newsmen that they have subsequently forwarded his name to the Oyo state government for the final ratification as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The kingmakers at the press conference were Balogun Olubadan, High Chief Owolabi Olakulehin; Ashipa Olubadan, High Chief Eddy Oyewole; and Osi Balogun, Tajudeen Ajibola.

Others included Ekaarun Olubadan, Amidu Ajibade; Ashila Balogun Olubadan, Lateef Gbadamosi, Ekaarun Balogun, Kola Adegbola and Ekerin Olubadan Abiodun Kola-Daisi.

Speaking, the Osi Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola stated that their decision was reached after meeting and resolution that High Chief Balogun is next in line and would in line with the tradition ascend the throne of Olubadan in the name of High Chief Balogun to be forwarded to the Oyo state governor, Engr Seyi Makinde for approval any moment.

According to him, contrary to insinuations making the round, there was no legal tussle on the succession to the Olubadan throne.

Few hours to the meeting and approval of the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun, by some of the Ibadan High Chiefs believed to be in the same camp with the Otunba Olubadan due to the controversy that erupted among members of the Olubadan-in-Council on the elevation of some of the kingmakers, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo state, Barrister Michael Folorunso Lana on Monday, January 3 forwarded a three-page letter entitled ‘Re- Installation of a new Olubadan of Ibadanland”.

Dated January, 3, 2022 and addressed to Gov Seyi Makinde, the letter advised the governor against approving any name that may be send to him by the Olubadan-in-Council as the new Olubadan until all the legal suits on the elevation of some of the High Chiefs to beaded crown wearing Oba are resolved.

In the letter copied the Oyo state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Oyelowo Oyewo, specifically, cautioned Governor Makinde against rushing into approving the next Olubadan for now.

The letter read, “Withhold approval of any High Chief to become the Olubadan so that the governor “will not also join in the desecration of Ibadan Chieftaincy Customary law.” 

The letter reminded the governor that there were two court cases arising from the moves by late Senator Abiola Ajimobi to review the long existing Ibadan Chieftaincy laws, and that “it is in line with this legal situation that I advise, most humbly, that you should withhold any approval of any High Chief to become the Olubadan so that you will not also join in the desecration of Ibadan Chieftaincy Customary law.”

“May l humbly draw your attention to a traditional aberration and illegality that may occur in an attempt to install another Olubadan of Ibadanland, in view of the existence of Suit No.!/22/2020 HRM Oba (Senator) Lekan Balogun & ORS vs Governor of Oyo State & ORS. 

“Upon your Excellency’s assumption of office, it was resolved that the matter be settled amicably and same was settled through the instrumentality of a terms of settlement which became the judgment of the Court. 

“The said terms of settlement recognised the illegality of the said actions and therefore set aside the Gazettes by which the said Chiefs became Oba with a right to wear beaded crowns and coronets.

“These High Chiefs and Baales, were dissatisfied with this consent judgment and therefore instituted two separate suits to set aside the consent judgment while at the same time clinging to the title of Oba which actually is in contempt of court. One  of these cases is Suit No: No.1/22/2020-HRMOba (Senator) Lekan Balogun & ORS V Governor of Oyo state”  

“Now, may I draw your Excellency’s attention to the fact that in committing this aberration which changed the Ibadan Chieftaincy customary law, the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957 was not amended and thereforeremains extant. 

“Under that Declaration and all relevant laws, no Oba can ascend to the throne of Olubadan. In other words, as long as the High Chiefs still cling to the title of Oba, they cannot ascend to that throne and any installation of any of them during the pendency of that suit, is illegal, null and void.

“There are only two ways to deal with this situation: one is for the High Chiefs to withdraw the aforementioned cases and the other is to wait for the Court to pronounce on it before any step is taken to install  an Olubadan. If the court holds that they have the right to be Obas and entitled to wear beaded crowns, then they are perpetually barred from becoming another Oba. 

“Nowhere in the customary law of any Yoruba town is an Oba elevated to become another Oba.  If on the other hand, the Court holds that the Terms of Settlement stands, and their Obaship title is illegal then they are free to be elevated to the post of Olubadan. The ball, your Excellency, is in their court: I wish you well as you consider, as an Ibadan man and as Governor, your place in history.

Hours after Barrister Lana’s letter to Governor Seyi Makinde, the solicitors to the Olubadan-in-council, K. K Eleja SAN, Prof. Wahab Egbewole SAN and Adekunle Sobaloju Esq, in a counter letter to Governor Makinde asked him to approve the candidate selected by the Olubadan-in-council to fill the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadan faulting the claims made by Barrister Lana’s letter asking the governor to withhold the approval of a new Olubadan of Ibadanland.

According to him, they “are not aware of any suit or any order of a competent court of law as at today which restrains the Oyo state government from kick-starting the process of filling the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadanland or from approving the appointment of any person next in line of succession to the throne as the Olubadan of Ibadanland and that the content of the letter written by Barrister Michael Lana, “is not a true representation of the law and the facts on the ascension to the Olubadan stool.”

“We are solicitors to the Olubadan-in-Council who are the Kingmakers for the Olubadan of Ibadan hereinafter referred to as our clients and on their resolute instruction we write this letter.

“Our clients just brought to our notice a letter dated January 3, 2022 written by Michael F. Lana Esq. wherein he urged your excellency not to approve the appointment of any High Chief as Olubadan on the ground that the Ibadan High Chiefs are Obas and that there is a pending suit 1/22/2020 before the court. 

“We wish to state that the content of the said letter is not a true representation of the law and the facts on the ascension to the Olubadan stool and we have our client’s instruction to debunk the misconception and controversy being whipped up by the content of the said letter.

“First, the law as regards ascension to the Olubadan stool is the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration and the subsequent Government decisions thereon and the rights of the High Chiefs in line to the ascension to the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadan is guaranteed therein as it was not and cannot be eroded by a conferment of rights to wear beaded crown as High Chiefs of Ibadanland as it is on record that none of the High Chiefs was at any point in time appointed or installed as Olubadan of Ibadanland or vested with the rights to wear beaded crown as Olubadan of Ibadanland. 

The position, ranking and status of the high chiefs of Ibadanland and their rights of ascendancy to the Olubadan stool was never at any time altered by the Oyo State Government; all that was done was to confer on the high chiefs the right to wear beaded crown pursuant to the enabling statute in this regard”. 

According to the solicitors, “the conferment of the right to wear beaded crowns on the High Chiefs did not elevate any of the Chiefs to the status of the Olubadan of Ibadanland as the Olubadan at all times remained the paramount king and ruler of Ibadanland with the position of an emperor and addressed as “His imperial Majesty” while each of the high chiefs who are lesser to the Olubadan are referred to as “His Royal Majesty” and they remained in their respective lines and ranks on the Olubadan ascendancy chain and have always retained their respective positions as Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, Balogun of Ibadan, etc. 

“The conclusion of Mr. Michael Lana is therefore self-serving, unfounded and a gross misconception of the purport of the restructuring of the Ibadan chieftaincy order by the previous administration in Oyo State. The pending suit. i.e Suit No. 1/22/2020 which has been adjourned for judgment has nothing to do with the right of succession to the stool of Olubadan, the suit was filed by the High Chiefs and Traditional Rulers of Towns and Villages in Ibadanland to set aside the consent judgment which nullified the Gazette vesting on each of them the right to wear beaded crowns and coronets.

“We equally reiterate that there is no controversy whatsoever within the Olubadan in Council and the entire Ibadanland as to the candidate next in line to fill the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadanland other than the unnecessary dust raised in the letter of M.F Lana Esq as we do not see how the judgment of the court in suit 1/22/2020, whichever way it goes, can in any way affect the right of the Kingmakers to select the candidate next in line to fill the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadanland. 
“We know that the positive side of history is more in favour of overseeing a smooth process of the filling of the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadan rather than entertaining frivolous petitions aimed at scuttling the process. We therefore most humbly appeal to you as a true and legitimate son of Ibadanland to shun any invitation to scuttle the age long tradition of a smooth and rancour free process of filling the vacant stool of Olubadan by approving without hesitation any candidate selected by the Olubadan in Council to fill the vacant stool.”

Barrister Lana again fired back at the Solicitors to the High Chiefs in another letter to Governor Makinde dated January,5 2022 declared that the Olubadan in Council ” consists of High Chiefs simply and not Oba/High Chief.” insisting that all Ibadan High Chiefs elevated to beaded crown wearing Obas by the immediate past administration in Oyo state have no right to be part of Olubadan in Council. 

In the letter entitled, ,” Re: Installation of a new Olubadan of Ibadanland, “the former Attorney General said,” the elevated High Chiefs have no right to recommend any person to Your Excellency to be installed as the Olubadan”. 

He further said, “such letter to you is void and can be challenged in court. By law, these Obas have no right to be part of Olubadan-in-Council as that body consists of High Chiefs simply and not Oba/High Chief. They therefore have no right to recommend any person to your Excellency to be installed as the Olubadan such letter to you is void and can be challenged in court”.

“Your Excellency needs to know that these same lawyers instituted suit not on behalf of chiefs but on behalf of Obas and the first claimant is HIS Royal Highness, OBA Senator Lekan Balogun so if they want to revert back to the customary law of Ibadan where only High Chiefs can become the Olubadan, why did they not sue simply in their capacity of High Chiefs?” 

“Your Excellency, their said letter deliberately omitted to state the intendment of the Obas in instituting Suit No.1/22/2020 which was to set aside the Terms of Settlement which nullified their instalment as Obas. In other words, they want to remain Obas. 

“That being the case, where is it in the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration that an Oba/High Chief can be elevated to the position of Olubadan or any position under Olubadan? Lastly, the solicitors tried to make a distinction between two nomenclatures that have no bearing on the title of Obas illegally bestowed on their clients, i.e. His Royal Majesty and Imperial Majesty. 

“I challenge them to show to your Excellency which law bestowed these nomenclatures on any Oba. A king is a king: what was created by law are their chieftaincies.”

He added that “nowhere in any law is any Oba given the additional nomenclature. Now, Your Excellency, it is in the public domain that because of the illegal conferment of Obaship on these chiefs, they started disregarding the authority of the Olubadan and they copiously disobeyed him even in death these Chiefs refused to pay condolence visit to his palace nor were they present at his burial contrary to the custom of Ibadanland.

“Your Excellency will note that under the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957, this is enough to disqualify them from ascending to the throne of Olubadan. That Declaration states inter alia thus:”Any chief from any of those embraced in proviso (a) above found guilty ……of disregard of or disrespect to the position or authority of the Olubadan… may not be eligible for nomination. I therefore urge your Excellency not to allow strangers to mislead your Excellency in further desecrating our tradition and custom. Your Excellency, as an Ibadan man, it behoves on you to get our tradition back.”

But the Olubadan-elect while speaking during the press conference declared that “by way of duty, as the Prime Minster of the Olubadan-in-Council, we owe the people of Ibadanland and Oyo state in general the obligations to inform and update you all on the latest development at our palace.” 

He urged the people of Ibadan and the entire Nigerians “to discard all unfounded rumours and insinuations capable of disturbing the peace of Ibadanland, irrespective of the quarter from which such fake news emanate, 
“In line with the traditional practice of Ibadanland when occasion like this arises, the Olubadan-in-Council has been up and doing liaising with the Oyo state government to ensure that every necessary step to sustain the peace of the city is strictly followed.”

With the unfolding legal and traditional issues been raised as to the emergence of the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland, all eyes are now focused on the Governor of Oyo state, Engineer Seyi Makinde who is also an Ibadan indigene as well as the state government on what would be the final decision as regards the appointment and the much needed approval by the state government as to who becomes the new Olubadan of Ibadanland