Former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, said he was not interested in any other crown except that of the Olubadan.
Ladoja, who is the Otun-Olubadan of Ibadan land, told journalists at his residence shortly after the Eid prayers that it has always been his dream to become an Olubadan.
There were speculations in Oyo State that the state government planned to install the Ibadan high chiefs as kings with beaded crowns on July 7.
Some high chiefs who were crowned during the administration of former governor Abiola Ajimobi later surrendered the crowns after an out-of-court settlement.
The development paved the way for Oba Lekan Balogun’s ascension to the Olubadan throne.
However, Ladoja said information at his disposal revealed that the high chiefs were now seeking permission to resume wearing of their surrendered crowns.
He stressed that it was illegal for any Ibadan high chief to think he can wear the crown after surrendering it.
The ex-governor said: “I joined the Olubadan line on October 1, 1993. I joined as ‘Jagun Olubadan’ and my target was to become Olubadan. I did not expect that I was going to wear any beaded crown on the way.
“If I wanted to do that, I would have become the ‘Baale’ of my village and I will be called ‘Baale’. Our role as high chiefs is to advise and support the Olubadan, not to wear crown with him.
“I told them the story of Aliiwo. When Aliiwo was coming from Iwo, he passed through Lagun village where he left his followers to stay with other warriors in Ibadan.
“If he had wanted to become Onilagun of Lagun, he would have done so. But people who started Ibadan said that they want to rule themselves. They want to rule the villages from the town.”
