SOJI AJIBOLA writes on different cases of suspension and dethronement of traditional rulers in the last decade and a half in Ido town, a suburb of Ibadan, Oyo State.
ONIDO stool in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State had in the last one and half decade witnessed the enthronement, dethronement and suspension of three of its traditional rulers.
This development has made Onido stool to become a topical issue in the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs as no other traditional stool in the state has experienced such kind of development either in the past or present.
People have begun to ask whether the historical town of Ido is a jinx or not, as the development runs contrary to the Yoruba beliefs that “bi oba kan ko ku, oba kan ko je” meaning enthronement of another king can only take place after demise of the former one.
It is on record that Ido town was founded by a warrior named Agura who had many children during his lifetime. Some of his children, according to the available historical record, migrated to other areas of this world such as Abeokuta, Trinidad and Tobago while others spread across the states of the Federation.
While the likes of Agura, Akinwumi and Eniayewu enjoyed uninterrupted successful reign, this could not be said of Pastor Isola, Chief Tajudeen Adelani Adeosun and Chief Murtala Gbolagade who were either dethroned or suspended.
Pastor Isola, who claimed to have installed Chief Gbolagade as Asipa of Ido in 2007, was enthroned as Onido in 1997.
He was the chairman of the Outer City Traditional Council formerly known as Ibadan Less City Council of Baale.
Pastor Isola, as reliably informed, became a rallying point for other baales, especially with the leading role that he played in the agitation for the elevation of other selected baales across the eleven local government areas of Ibadan as crowned kings.
His position then was that the cosmopolitan city of Ibadanland was supposed to have other kings under the leadership of the Olubadan of Ibadanland but this seemed not to go down well with then constituted authority.
To them, having more kings, either as second class or third will be a threat to the throne of Olubadan of Ibadanland. His agitation now became dead on arrival.
Even with the strong opposition, Pastor Isola was unrelenting as he approached the then late governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala who saw reason in his agitation but could not enforce an executive order.
It was a turbulent period for Pastor Isola who escaped from one set trap and entered another.
Eventually, he was later trapped, as Yoruba will say, “a kii gbon bii eni to n so ni” meaning you cannot be as smart as the person planning to entangle you.
His greatest undoing was that he authorised his followers as the then baale to wear customised aso ebi with Onido of Ido inscriptions during his 10th year anniversary on the throne.
He was then dethroned by late Governor Abiola Ajimobi after spending 13 years and seven months on the throne.
After his dethronement, Chief Tajudeen Adelani Adeosun was installed as Onido of Ido in August 2011 by late Oba Samuel Odulana only for him to be later removed over some allegations.
Chief Adeosun, as reliably informed, is still challenging his removal from office in court.
His removal paved the way for the enthronement of Chief Murtala Gbolagade as Baale of Ido by late Oba Saliu Adetunji.
Oba Gbolagade is among the selected baales that were elevated to the status of obas by the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde.
However, his elevation was short-lived as the same governor ordered his suspension from the office even though the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, had in a statement, insisted that his suspension should not be mistaken for a vacant Onido stool.
The government, in a letter dated February 2, 2024 and signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, indicated that Governor Makinde approved the suspension on February 1, 2024.
The letter directed Oba Gbolagade to hand over all government properties in his possession to the chairman of Ido Local Government.
It read: “I wish to inform you that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Oyo State of Nigeria, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Sub-section 1 & 2 of Section 26 of the Chiefs Law, Cap. 28 Vol I, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000 and by virtue of all other enabling powers in that regard, has approved your suspension as the Onido of Ido in the area of authority of Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State.”
However, the Olubadan, in a statement by his Personal Assistant on Media, Oladele Ogunsola, said that final decision on the matter will be taken by the Olubadan Advisory Council.
But prominent people in Ido town are calling for the return of Pastor Isola because during his short but impactful tenure, there were no reported cases of land grabbing nor any fraudulent act.
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