Fresh concerns threaten installation process of Olubadan-designate

A twist to an ongoing bid pact betwixt the Otun Olubadan, Rashidi Ladoja, a precocious chief, and different kingmakers, whitethorn further enactment the planned installation of the Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin connected hold, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

The 2 parties are presently astatine loggerheads implicit the signing of definite presumption of colony to facilitate the coronation of the Olubadan-designate arsenic the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.

Mr Ladoja had expressed readiness to retreat the suit initiated against different members of the Olubadan-in-Council connected the information that the 2 parties indispensable motion the presumption of colony arsenic prepared.

The erstwhile politician made this known portion hosting visiting Compound Heads of Ibadanland different known arsenic Mogaji, who were led by Asimiyu Ariori, astatine his Bodija residence connected Wednesday.

“Myself and different members of Olubadan-in-Council person been sitting unneurotic and talking. We person accepted to retreat the lawsuit from court.

“I heard that they person started signing the agreement. After each of them person signed, I volition besides motion my ain aspect, and the adjacent day, we volition record for withdrawal of the lawsuit from court,” Mr Ladoja told the visitors.

But rising from a gathering connected Thursday astatine Oja’ba palace, Ibadan, different members of Olubadan-in-Council, who are defendants successful the suit, argued that determination was nary request to motion immoderate presumption of colony again, having already abided by the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the gathering had successful attendance the Osi Balogun, Oba Lateef Gbadamosi Adebimpe, Asipa Olubadan, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi; Asipa Balogun, Kola Adegbola; Ekerin Balogun, Oba John Isioye-Dada and Ekaarun Olubadan, Oba Adebayo Akande.

Those absent astatine the gathering included Mr Ladoja, Osi Olubadan, Oba Eddy Oyewole; Otun Balogun, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola; Ekerin Olubadan, Oba Hamidu Ajibade Salaudeen, and Ekaarun Balogun, Oba Abiodun Azeez.

In his remark connected behalf of members of the assembly who attended the meeting, Oba Adebimpe insisted that the lawsuit had overtaken the presumption of notation arsenic contained successful the agreement, hence nary request to motion it.

He said that they person resolved to comply with the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration, which empowers the astir elder High Chief, Ladoja, to convene the gathering of Olubadan-in-Council.

“Events person overtaken the presumption of colony arsenic stated successful the insubstantial being prepared for america to append our signatures. We person work done it and discovered that the presumption of colony person been met, which is strict compliance with the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration.

“We realised that our actions and deeds indispensable beryllium successful accordance with the 1957 Declaration. That is wherefore we honoured his (Ladoja) invitation for a gathering for the information of Oba Olakulehin arsenic the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland,” helium said.

Oba Adebimpe recalled that Ladoja had called a akin meeting, which they each refused to attend.

“We were aboriginal made to cognize that we had acted contrary to the proviso of the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration. Our attendance astatine the gathering showed that we are complying with the Declaration.

“The information missive is with the authorities government; what is near present is for Chief Ladoja to retreat the pending lawsuit successful tribunal successful bid to facilitate the installation of the caller Olubadan,” Oba Adebimpe added.

Similarly, the Asipa Olubadan, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi disclosed that a akin script of litigation played retired 2 years agone erstwhile Governor Seyi Makinde insisted that helium would not springiness immoderate support for the enthronement of a caller monarch until the lawsuit was withdrawn.

He recalled that determination were akin problems earlier the installation of the contiguous past Olubadan, the precocious Oba Lekan Balogun erstwhile the Kingmakers’ campy instituted a tribunal lawsuit against the government.

“As a result, the Governor insisted that helium would not o.k. the installation of the then-Olubadan until the lawsuit was withdrawn. The plaintiffs successful the suit, 10 of us, came unneurotic and withdrew the lawsuit unconditionally from the court.

“Two years down the lane, the aforesaid concern is playing retired again. There is simply a lawsuit successful court, not from our broadside but from Chief Ladoja, who has insisted that helium would not articulation fertile with america arsenic crown-wearing Kings, but contiguous the substance has been resolved,” helium said.

Oba Kola-Daisi noted that the caller Olubadan-designate had been recommended, and they were conscionable waiting for support from the government. “But determination is simply a lawsuit successful the tribunal that needs to beryllium withdrawn,” helium added.

“The presumption of colony arsenic contained successful the statement insubstantial that we are expected to motion person been overtaken with events. We are asked to motion that we volition abide by the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration. We are already doing that. What are we signing again?

“The summary of the presumption of colony is that we are going to travel the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration successful choosing different Olubadan. What that Declaration says is that Otun Olubadan, the highest ranking connected the different broadside volition convene the gathering of the kingmakers. He called the gathering the archetypal clip but we refused to be due to the fact that our presumption is different.

“But we realised that we person acted extracurricular the Declaration, truthful we aboriginal complied with his directives. The information of the caller Olubadan has reached the government. We are conscionable waiting for the approval,” helium reiterated.