An Ibadan, Oyo State-based lawyer, Chief Michael Lana, is kicking against Chief Lekan Balogun succeeding the late Oba Saliu Adetunji as the next Olubadan of Ibadan. Accordingly, he has advised Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State not to hurry the installation of a new Olubadan of Ibadanland in view of the existence of a suit involving Senator Lekan Balogun, who ideally is supposed to be next in line to the stool.
Lana, writing through his lawyer, to both Governor Makinde and Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo (SAN), the state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, urged Makinde to tread with caution as a result of the pending suit.
Oba Saliu Adetunji, 93, was the 41st Olubadan of Ibadan. The owner of Omo Aje Records, once the recording label of Wasiu Ayinde, aka K1, died at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Sunday, January 2, 2022, after a brief illness.
He ascended the throne of his forefathers on March 4, 2016, and departed after six years.
Back to Lana. He stated that Balogun went to court to upturn the consent judgement that set aside the gazettes which recognised High Chiefs and Baales as Obas in Ibadanland.
Continuing, he said the administration of the late Chief Abiola Ajimobi in 2017 conferred the title of Obaship on some High Chiefs and Baales, “thereby disrupting the smooth chieftaincy elevation of Ibadanland”.
Lana recalled that the rights given to the chiefs to wear beaded crowns and coronets were challenged by High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, upon which the court nullified the said conferment.
“Consequently, the Court of Appeal, in Appeal No. CA/IB/99/2018, set aside the said judgement on technical grounds, sending it back to the High Court for retrial,” he said.
Undone, he reminded Makinde that upon his assumption of office as the governor, the matter was amicably resolved through the instrumentality of a Terms of Settlement, which became the judgement of the court.
According to him, the High Chiefs and Baales instituted two separate suits to set aside the consent judge5ment, while at the same time clinging to the title of Obas. This, he said, amounted to Contempt of Court.
Lana particularly mentioned that “one of the cases was instituted by Balogun in Suit No. 1/22/2020-HRM OBA (SENATOR) LEKAN BALOGUN & ORS V GOVERNOR OF OYO STATE & ORS.”
He further explained that since the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957 was not amended, it, therefore, remained extant.
Under the declaration, he said that no Oba could ascend to the throne of Olubadan.
“In another words, as long as the High Chiefs were still clinging to the title of Oba, they could not ascend to the throne.
“Any installation of any of them during the pendency of that suit is illegal, null and void,” he added.
The way forward, he suggested, will be for the chiefs to withdraw the aforementioned cases or wait for the court to pronounce on them.
“If the court holds that they have the right to be Obas and entitled to wear beaded crowns, then they are perpetually barred from becoming another Oba.
“Nowhere in the Customary Law of any Yoruba town is an Oba elevated to become another Oba.
“If, on the other hand, the court holds the Terms of Settlement stand, and their Obaship title is illegal, then they are free to be elevated to the post of Olubadan,” he concluded.
Balogun was yet to respond to the disturbing letter at the time of writing this. Although, some of his admirers have been rejoicing with him as the next in line and calling for a disregard of Lana’s letter.
The Oyo State Government had also yet to respond.