What could have become a significant embarrassment for Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State was averted Wednesday night when he rushed to announce the approval of Owolabi Olakulehin as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.
OYOINSIGHT.COM reports that the approval came after over three months of vacancy in the position and followed increasing criticism of the governor’s delay in confirming Olakulehin’s nomination.
Many believe that Makinde had been reluctant to approve Olakulehin’s nomination because of his love-turned-sour relationship with Rashidi Ladoja, Otun Olubadan and former governor of Oyo State. Though Ladoja had denied any frosty relationship, saying the governor is his good son.
Ladoja’s civil line, is next in line to the throne after Olakulehin’s military line and the governor, sources said, is afraid of the 80-year old’s political activities. They also believe that the governor was behind Abimbola Ajibola’s outburst about Olakulehin’s heath status. Ajibola is Otun Balogun.
Makinde, in the terse statement, a 4-paragraph piece, by his spokesman, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, neither included Olakulehin’s fitness result nor the date of presentation of staff of office.
It was learnt that Makinde had, for the first time in a long while, caved in to the idea by his minders, to quickly announce the approval of Olakulehin.
They feared the consequences may be the beginning of the end of what may affect them all.
“There is nothing he could have done. He had two options— to disrupt the planned coronation and two, to delay the thing for long. Both have dire consequences,” a top government official who craved anonymity said.
It would be recalled that Makinde had, at the final burial of the immediate past Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, acknowledged that Olakulehin is next Olubadan but that he would present him staff of office when the 89-year old is it fit enough. The statement drew the ire of the people of Ibadan.
This is despite the fact that Olakulehin had been to St. Peter’s Cathedral, Aremo, his predecessor’s house at Alarere and as well as the new Ibadan Palace at Oke Aremo, to show his fitness.
But Ladoja, while giving what can best be described as the hint to what is going to happen had on Eid day told newsmen at his Ondo street, Bodija residence, that the Afobaje, which he happens to be the head, will not delay further in performing his own rites for the new Olubadan.
OYOINSIGHT.COM learnt that Makinde’s kinsmen, who can’t take what they termed his arrogance, had planned to do the coronation of Olakulehin tomorrow, Friday 21st June, 2024 while they wait till whenever Makinde is ready for presentation of staff of office.
Though it cannot be confirmed as at press time, this newspaper learnt that some highly-networked individuals indigenes and residents have begun moves to buy the monarch a befitting SUV to match his new position.
It was however unsure, as at press time, whether a the coronation would go on.
Corroborating Ladoja, a former president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lanre Ogundipe, argued that the coronation of an Olubadan is purely traditional without any government interference. He had submitted that since Olakulehin had been chosen, he can be crowned traditionally while the governor either personally or through his representative then, has the duty of presenting a staff of office to the king or the Oba, when he has already been accepted by the people and even already ruling over his people.
In a piece published yesterday and titled Let’s Stand Up To Protect Our Traditional Institutions From Govt Clutches, Ogundipe revealed that “As things are now, there has been many school of thoughts as to what will be the next action of the Kingmakers, the traditionalist, with the responsibility of crowning an Oba in Yorubaland, in respect of Ibadan.
“It is highly being suggested and considered that the traditional coronation of Oba Olakulehin may commence and he would be crowned and the people of Ibadan would know that they have their Oba in place and would only be awaiting when the governor would give him, the staff of office.
“Majority of Ibadan indigenes who supported this step used Ogbomoso as an example and pointed out that it was after the present Soun of Ogbomosoland had been crowned as monarch and already ruling over them, that the governor went to present the staff of office to him.
“It was even argued by some elders that the presentation of the staff of office should not necessarily be in a fanfare, or colorful ceremony, and that it could be carried to him in his palace.
“They argued that even the presentation of staff of office by the government, is alien to “our” Yoruba tradition and culture”
“The ceremony which usually accompanies the presentation of staff of office by government, it was argued, was always a ploy to spend government money and it gives room for the embezzlement of public funds,” he opined.
