Gbenro Adesina
It seems there is a collision eminent between the Olubadan-in-Council and former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, a member of the council as the solicitors of the duo are entangled in a legal battle over the installation of the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, following the demise of late Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, the immediate past Olubadan.
Three solicitors of Olubadan-in-Council: Kehinde Eleja and Wahab Egbewole and Sobaloju Adekunle, have formally reacted to a letter fired to Governor Seyi Makinde, by the state former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Michael Lana, a lawyer to Senator Ladoja, asking Governor Makinde to restrain from installing Otun Olubadan, Oba Senator Lekan Balogun, as the new Olubadan.
The Counsels to the Olubadan-in-Council pointed to the governor in their letter that Barrister Lana is trying to mislead the governor in doing what is right, saying that his interpretation of law is incorrect.
They urged the governor to disregard the letter addressed to him by the erudite lawyer and go ahead to install Oba Lekan Balogun as the next Olubadan, saying that the law suit in the court bothering on the Ibadan Chieftaincy title has nothing to do with the installation of a new Olubadan.
The letter dated January 4, 2022 and titled, ” Re: Installation of New Olubadan of Ibadanland”, reads in parts:
“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. 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. The suit therefore dwells mainly on whether it was proper to divest the claimants of vested rights through a consent judgment entered into by their adversaries without any consultation with them or their consent.
“We unequivocally state that we 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. An unsolicited, jaundiced, misconceived and warped opinion of a counsel who did not disclose his quo warrant to cannot metamorphose to an order of court capable of stopping His Excellency from exercising his statutory power of approving the candidate selected by the Olubadan in Council to fill the vacant stool of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
“It is also on record that the High Chiefs were conferred with the right to wear beaded crowns on the 27 of August, 2017 und immediately thereafter during the subsistence of suits filed by Chief Rasheed Ladoja and others challenging the action that there was a vacancy in the Balogun line and HRM Oba Gbadamosi Adebimpe was elevated from Ashipa Balogun to Osi Balogun and HRM Dr. Kolawole Adegbola was also elevated from Ekarun Balogun to Ashipa Balogun by the Late Olubadan and the elevations were approved by Your Excellency in spite of the subsistence of the suits in court and their status as beaded crown wearing Obas and heaven did not fall.
“We equally reiterate that there is no controversy whatsoever within the Olubadan in Council and the entire Ibadaland 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.
“Accept your Excellency our profound regards and best wishes for the new year. We thank you in anticipation of your prompt action”.
