WHO BECOMES THE NEXT OLUBADAN OF IBADAN?

Meanwhile, controversy seems to trail the choice of the next Olubadan as the leader of  Seriki line, Chief Adebayo Oyediji, has accused the Olubadan-in -Council of corruption and not adhering strictly to the rule of law.

While taking exception to preparation to choose  High Chief  Soliu Adetunji as the new Olubadan, he argued that he should be installed.

Making reference to a motion filed on his behalf by his lawyer, A.G. Adeniran in an Oyo state High court, he alleged that the Olubadan -in-Council had since 1989 refused to obey a Supreme Court judgment which ordered that the Seriki line be admitted into the Olubadan line.

Alleging marginalisation of the Seriki Line since the death of Chief Adisa Meredith Akinloye who was also denied the opportunity, he wondered why the Olubadan in Council denied his line of becoming the third line in the chieftaincy of Olubadan according to the Supreme Court judgment.

Going down memory lane, Oyediji alluded to the genesis of the problem which he said dates back to 1959 Ekerin Balogun of Ibadan Chieftaincy Declaration which put  Seriki under the Ekerin Balogun of Ibadan and stated that Seriki can only be promoted to Ekerin Balogun only if there are two simultaneous vacancies occuring in the Ashipa and Ekerin Balogun titles.

Based on the victory his line got, the then Olubadan of Ibadan Oba Oloyede Asanike and all the Chiefs prevailed on the Seriki chiefs not to insist on three lines for the Olubadan chieftaincy, but that rather chiefs in the Seriki line should cross to Ekerin Balogun and Ekerin Olubadan on the two lines whenever there is a vacancy in any of the two lines.

But now that High Chiefs, Omiyale and Omowale Kuye died on both sides of the Balogun and Otun Olubadan, he insisted that nothing should rob them of that opportunity again.

“When the agreement was reached, the late Odulana was the only senior ranking High Chief in the Olubadan line and we were in the same rank. If that agreement is followed, I am the next person to succeed him.

In a new motion marked I/421/07, he sought a declaration that “by the provision of the consent judgment delivered by the High Court in suit No. I/313/88, it is the turn of the claimants to produce the next Olubadan of Ibadan on both the Olubadan line and the Balogun line.”

He also prayed the court to “set aside the purported appointments made by the 1st defendant (Oba Odulana) to fill vacancies existing in the chieftaincy titles of Ekerin Olubadan, Ashipa Olubadan, Osi Olubadan, Otun Olubadan and Balogun Olubadan of Ibadan since the 21st of November, 2008 up till the last appointment he made on the 1st of January, 2016”.

Also that the court should “set aside the purported approval granted by the Governor of Oyo state on the 5th of January, 2016 or thereabout to the appointments made by the 1st defendant on the 1st of January, 2016 to fill vacancies existing in the chieftaincy titles.”