Olubadan Crisis: Ibadan elders intervene, meet Ladoja
Notable natives of Ibadan, have met with the Otun Olubadan, Chief Rashidi Ladoja over the lingering crisis surrounding the nomination of the new Olubadan.
The position of the Olubadan of Ibadan became vacant a few weeks ago after the death of the 42nd Olubadan, Oba Olalekan Balogun.
But the process leading to the nomination and crowning of a new monarch became a subject of controversy as the Otun Olubadan, Chief Ladoja and the Ibadan high chiefs elevated to Oba (kings) were enmeshed in a supremacy battle over the right to summon a meeting of the Olubadan Advisory Council to nominate the next candidate to the throne.
However, according to Daily Post report, some notable indigenes of Ibadan have now stepped into the matter to prevent it from degenerating further into an intractable legal debacle.
The current peace moves is said to be at instance of the ‘Primate Emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Primate Sunday Ola Makinde, some Ibadan Mogaji (family heads) and other prominent indigenes of the town.
The peace meeting was reportedly held on Wednesday at the residence of a prominent industrialist and former president of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Bode Amao and had Chief Ladoja in attendance.
WESTERN POST reported how the Ibadan high chiefs elevated to Oba (kings) shunned a meeting called by Chief Ladoja and how the elevated chiefs held a separate meeting from which Ladoja was excluded.
The current Balogun of Ibadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin is believed to be the next candidate to the Olubadan throne. But his whereabouts is unknown. Olakulehin is also one of the elevated chiefs who are at loggerheads with the Otun Olubadan, Chief Ladoja. They (elevated chiefs) had vowed not to sit with Ladoja in the Olubadan Advisory Council after the Otun Olubadan instituted legal action, challenging their elevation from high chiefs to Oba.
According to the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration, only Chief Ladoja (the highest ranking high chief) can summon a meeting of the Olubadan Advisory Council to discuss and nominate the new Olubadan.
