Ladoja: Uninformed People Responsible for Tension over Olubadan Stool

*Says succession plan unambiguous, concedes to Balogun
*Urges Olubadan-in-waiting, other chiefs to withdraw their court cases
*Obasanjo visits family of late monarch, assures them of support

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

In a move that seem to have calmed the controversies relating to the choice of a new Olubadan of Ibadanland, a former governor of Oyo State and Osi Olubadan, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, yesterday, broke his silence on the issue, saying uninformed people are causing unnecessary tension in Ibadan over the succession.

Ladoja conceded to the choice of High Chief Lekan Balogun as the most senior person to succeed the late Oba Saliu Adetunji as the new Olubadan. But the former governor pleaded with the monarch-in-waiting and other high chiefs to withdraw their cases in court so that the matter could be completely laid to rest.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited the family of the late Olubadan yesterday to commiserate with them, and the people and government of Oyo State over Adetunji’s passing.
Oba Adetunji died at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, last Sunday at the age of 93 years.

Ladoja spoke while playing host to some visitors, including the senator for Oyo Central senatorial district, Senator Teslim Folarin, at his Ondo Street, Bodija residence, in Ibadan. He said High Chief Balogun was the next in line to succeed the departed Olubadan.

Ladoja said, “Uninformed people are just causing unnecessary tensions in Ibadan. There is no controversy about who becomes the next Olubadan after the demise of Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogunguniso 1.”

He maintained that the controversy that arose over the next Olubadan should not have arisen, as the succession plan was clear and unambiguous.
According to him, “There is no controversy about it. Egbon Lekan Balogun is the most senior in our line and so, he is the next in line to the throne. For those asking, my ‘body and mouth language’ is that Egbon Lekan is my senior and he is next in line to the Olubadan stool.

“I do not have the powers to make anybody Olubadan. In 2017, we instituted a case to challenge the needless reform that Abiola Ajimobi, as governor, wanted to do. Almost all of us as High Chiefs and members of the Olubadan-in-Council agreed to the filing of a suit to challenge him and we gave the task to Michael Lana.

“Lana later called me to say some of the High Chiefs told him to remove their names from the suit, leaving only my Egbon Balogun and myself. Two weeks after we started the case, Egbon Balogun said he was no longer interested in the case. I asked Lana if I could do it alone and he told me ‘yes’ and we continued.

“We won the case at the State High Court and Ajimobi appealed. In a judgement, the appeal court, a few days to the exit of Ajimobi from government, sent the case back to the High Court for retrial. They (judges of the appellate court) said the case was brought under writ of summons instead of originating summons.
“By the time, there had been a new government headed by Seyi Makinde, who said he did not want the distraction of the suit and called for out-of-court settlement, which we agreed to and did.

“After the terms of settlement were agreed to, the court gave a consent judgement based on the terms. But they said they were not happy and instituted two fresh cases, which are still in court till today.

“So, I need people to understand that I am not causing any trouble. The cases that are in court today in respect of the Obaship tussle were instituted by Egbon Balogun and his colleagues, who are still calling themselves Obas. It is they that the people should talk to. Let them go and withdraw the cases they instituted. I don’t like the unwarranted tension this matter is generating.”

Obasanjo, who was a regular visitor to the Popoyemoja palace during the reign of Oba Adetunji, was received by the queen of the monarch, Olori Rasheedat Adetunji, and Chief Nureni Akanbi, who is the Gbonka Balogun of Ibadanland. He arrived at the palace around 7:10am and was accompanied by former Secretary to the Government of Oyo State, Chief Olayiwola Olakojo.

Obasanjo, who prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed monarch, assured the palace of his readiness to assist the family whenever the need arose. He wrote in his condolence message, thus, “Kabiesi, sun re. You lived for the service of family, community, state and the nation. You served committedly and God granted you longevity. We pray that your soul will be with your Creator and the family and community will continue to thrive.”