The governor of Oyo, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has said that he had no plans of deposing the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji – no matter the level of provocation and opposition to the recent installation of new obas in Ibadanland.

Background:

• Ajimobi installed 21 new Obas, which was strongly opposed by the Olubadan and some other stakeholders.
• Olubadan sues the governor, alongside 23 others.

Highlights:

• Ajimobi appealed to members of the Obas-in-Council and all other newly installed obas in Ibadanland to visit the Olubadan as a way of assuring the paramount ruler that they bore no grudge against him.
• Despite being vested with enormous powers of suspension and deposition of an erring monarch, as enshrined in Cap 28, Section 26 (1) of the Chiefs Laws of Oyo State 2000, Ajimobi said that he would not invoke such powers over the Ibadan monarch.

The section reads:

The governor may suspend or depose any chief (oba) whether appointed before or after the commencement of this law if it is satisfied that such suspension or deposition is required according to customary law or is necessary in the interest of peace or order or good government.

Ajimobi continued, “Let me state that the existing chieftaincy law gives any governor power to remove any traditional ruler who engages in activities that can jeopardize the peace of his domain.

I should also add that Kabiyesi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, has of recent been engaging in certain activities that are inimical to the peace and tranquillity of Ibadan.

Only recently, Olubadan embarked on a roadshow across Ibadan, waving horsetail to bystanders in an apparent attempt to incite the people against the government. Such actions could have pitted the antagonists and protagonists of installation of new obas against one another.

This is capable of plunging Ibadan metropolis into a crisis of unimaginable proportion, if not for the understanding and support of the people for the government. But no matter what happens, I assure you I will never depose the Olubadan. He remains my father. His palace is just being used by failed politicians, especially the Accord Party leader, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, to relaunch his faded political career.

I hold the Olubadan and his stool in high esteem. This is why I will also want to beg the obas-in-council to visit Baba and mend their relationship. If I can’t fight the Olubadan, please you should not fight him.

The governor added, “Reports at our disposal indicate that the crisis that had trailed the appointment of new obas in Ibadan and the gun attack on the Olubadan palace on Monday might have been masterminded by these failed politicians.

“They have taken advantage of Kabiyesi’s advanced age to carry out their nefarious activities and use the palace as the centre of opposition to the government. What they failed to achieve through the ballot box, they want to achieve through the back door.

“Our government is not for violence. We don’t encourage brigandage. It is people like Ladoja who have been promoting violence that was behind the attack on Olubadan’s palace. It was during Ladoja’s regime that gunmen shot into the late Baba (Lamidi) Adedibu’s house because of his opposition to him.

“Ladoja’s supporters caused mayhem in Akure (Ondo State) when he lost out in his bid to be endorsed as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. During his administration, even the governor’s office became a theatre of war. All these are on record.”

He, however, vowed not to be intimidated by what he called Ladoja’s pull-him-down syndrome and self-centredness.

Speaking earlier, the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, expressed appreciation to the governor for the way he had handled the provocative activities of the opponents of the recent review of the Olubadan Chieftaincy Law.

He alleged that the foremost traditional ruler had treated them with disdain and had embarked on activities that could tarnish the revered Olubadan stool.

The royal father particularly cited the “unilateral removal of Alhaja Abake Lawal as the Iyaloja of Ibadanland by Oba Adetunji” allegedly on the excuse that she was not an Ibadan indigene in spite of the opposition by the Olubadan-in-Council.