What initially started as a twist in the appointment of a replacement for the late Olubadan of Ibadan land was finally resolved recently as an ideal candidate has been approved by the state government as replacement. BAYO AGBOOLA reports from Ibadan.
In the past few years, ascension to the throne of the Olubadan of Ibadan land after the demise of a reigning Oba used to be one of the fastest ceremonies in Yorubaland as vacant stool of any Olubadan used to be filled up within 40 days, but this time around, it took a lot of horse trading, lobbying and litigations before a new leader was announced recently after an appropriate authority saddled with the responsibility worked it out and sought the approval and seal of the state government. That was why a ceremony that would have taken only few weeks prolonged until recently.
When the intrigue started
It is no longer news that all eyes were on the Otun Olubadan of Ibadan land, High Chief Lekan Balogun as the next Olubadan being the most senior among the Ibadan High Chiefs as clearly stipulated in the Ibadan Chieftaincy Laws but few days ago after a closed door meeting with Governor Seyi Makinde at the Oyo State Government House in Ibadan, the High Chiefs agreed to resolve all the perceived clogs especially the controversies arising from the elevation of some of the Ibadan High Chiefs to beaded-wearing Oba by the administration of late Senator Abiola Ajimobi in 2017 that may likely hinder the timely emergence of a new Olubadan after the demise of the immediate past Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji early January this year.
According to the Osi Olubadan of Ibadan land, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja after the meeting with Governor Makinde, all was set for the official announcement of the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogu as the next Olubadan of Ibadan land. He said Ibadan High Chiefs have resolved their differences and are very united in their bid to install the new Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Speaking further he said that at the meeting, the council members met with Governor Makinde and agreed with the resolution that Senator Lekan Balogun who is next in line to the stool remains the authentic candidate for the Olubadan stool.
According to him, “I can tell you that Ibadan is very lucky. All the matters causing crisis in Ibadan land have been resolved. The governor has been magnanimous to have called this meeting because those of us who thought we won’t meet again have finally met and resolved all the matters. So, I can tell you that by next week, you won’t notice any tension in Ibadan again.The resolution is simple and the only contention was the objection by Barrister Lana on the court case and it has been resolved.
“None of us argued that the Otun Olubadan, Senator Balogun is not the next Olubadan. All of us have agreed on that position because that is our hierarchy. Before the resolution could be announced, we have our procedure. The Olubadan-in-Council would meet and we would present the candidate to the governor for his assent. Now, we are very happy that we have resolved the problem and we are all grateful to the governor.”
High Chief Ladoja stressed that the Olubadan-in-Council would jointly make a public statement on their resolutions regarding the confirmation of the Otun Olubadan as the new Olubadan of Ibadanland soonest and since then the people of Ibadan, Oyo state and Nigeria in general are looking for the soonest announcement which as at present is yet to come only for the matter to be assuming a different dimension.
State government’s intervention
Apparently as a follow up to the agreement which the High Chiefs reached with Governor Makinde that all parties should do whatever is necessary to ensure the smooth selection and enthronement of the next Olubadan. some of the Ibadan High Chiefs met at the Olubadan’s palace, Oja’ba, Ibadan with the Otun Balogun of Ibadan land.
High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola while speaking on the meeting had said, “The High Chiefs had agreed with the governor to withdraw the suit in court and that the process of withdrawing the case has commenced while the due processed would be followed. The case was adjourned to the first of February this year and whatever happens, we would have to get to the court before the withdrawal could take place,” he had stated.
However, feelers on the new Olubadan issues presently indicated that High Chief Lekan Balogun and other members of the Olubadan-in-Council who were crowned Obas in 2017 are yet to fulfill their pledge to Governor Makinde that they would withdraw the case challenging a consent judgment earlier given on the matter as rather than withdraw the case as promised Governor Makinde at a meeting held in Government House two weeks ago, the High Chiefs seemed to have resolved to see the end of the case in court.
Litigation
At the hearing of the case on Friday, January 14 at the Oyo State High Court 1 before Justice Munta Abimbola, the Chief Judge of the state directed parties in the suit to further address the court on the validity or otherwise of the consent judgment in view of the decision of the Appeal Court with the parties, through their lawyers and to appear before him on Tuesday February 1.
Going by the latest feelers on the case, it is indicated that rather than filing a notice of withdrawal of the case, the counsel to the High Chiefs filed a further written address indicating that the case may go ahead beyond February 1.
According to a former Attorney General of the state and one of the defendants Barrister, Michael Lana, he and other lawyers had wanted to appeal the decision of Justice Abimbola that the parties address the court on the validity or otherwise of the consent judgment, but decided against doing so since the claimants said they would withdraw the case, saying, “We had 14 days to appeal the decision, but waited in view of the claimants’ expression of intent to withdraw the case as expressed during their meeting with Governor Makinde. But instead of a notice of withdrawal of the case, we received their argument which they have filed before the court on the validity or otherwise of the consent judgment.”
Barrister Lana declared that with the unfolding events on the case, he had no choice than to approach the Appeal Court to challenge the issue of validity or otherwise of the consent judgment raised by Justice Abimbola and that the appeal was filed on Thursday, January 27, one day to the expiry of 14 days within which such action must be taken, adding that with the appeal, the case at the High Court would have to wait for the appeal to be decided.
All these situations continued up until last week when the Olubadan-in-council finally met and was able to resolve all pending problems in the choice of a new Olubadan. The good thing however is that at the moment, Ibadan land has a new Olubadan who succeeds the late monarch.
