The Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun has been endorsed as the next Olubadan of Ibadaland by ten Olubadan-in-Council members.
The decision was made at a meeting which held at the Mapo Hall in Ibadan on Wednesday.
While ten members of the Olubadan-in-Council were present at the meeting, the Osi Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja was absent.
Addressing a press conference shortly after the meeting, Otun Balogun of Olubadan, Tajudeen Ajibola, said Balogun was endorsed as the heir to the throne in accordance to the tradition of the ancient city which states that only the head of the hierarchy of chiefs should ascend the throne of Olubadan.
Ajibola also faulted claims that no member of the Olubadan-in-Council is eligible to be coronated as the Olubadan.
Before now, former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Oyo State, Michael Lana Esq, had called on Governor Seyi Makinde to withhold the approval of the next Olubadan, saying that no Oba can ascend the throne of the Olubadan as long as the High Chiefs still cling to the title of Oba.
Recall that late Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, during his administration conferred the title of Obaship on some High Chiefs and Baales and gave them the right to wear beaded crowns and coronets, a decision which has been subjected to several legal issues.
Reacting to controversies during the press conference, Ajibola argued that the elevation granted the members by the late Governor had not in any way altered the age-long and enviable traditional succession plan to the Olubadan throne in Ibadanland.
In his words, “We have endorsed the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Lekan Balogun as the next Olubadan of Ibadaland.”
“This is the decision that was taken by ten out eleven Olubadan-in-Council and there is no going back on it, it is the tradition that we need to follow to the latter,” Ajibola said.
Also in his contribution, the Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadaland, High Chief Amidu Ajibade, maintained that the Olubadan stool cannot be politicised,” stressing that the case in court has nothing to do with who becomes the next Olubadan.
He said: “Those people and others were promoted during the reign of late Olubadan with their crowns and there was no problem, so there should not be problem now when the next person to late Olubadan needs to be supported to emerge as Olubadan.
“Those people were duly promoted and their promotions were approved by the governor, so why are they now peddling rumours that are not relevant to the issue on ground, after this conference we will submmit our resolutions to Governor Makinde.”
