IF the news doing the rounds that the Oyo State governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, is about to elevate and crown 11 Ibadan High Chiefs in the Olubadan-in-Council as Obas is true, then it is music to the ears. Why? Because the governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has followed due process in arriving at that decision, having allowed the suggestion of a review to come from within the system. Contrary to insinuations, the government is not breaching any law in the plan to promote and crown the High Chiefs of Ibadanland. In 2016, when the administration of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi activated the process to review the law, nearly all Ibadan indigenes and other stakeholders kicked against it because due process was not followed. The opposition to the idea was not necessarily because the idea was not in the interest of peace and stability of the historic city.
The late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, was quoted in an interview thus: “When he (Ajimobi) informed me about the plan, I told him to be patient so that we would know how to handle it. But he ignored my advice and started doing what pleased him. I know that with what he was doing, he was just putting himself into trouble. He did what he wanted to do; he didn’t carry me along.” All well-meaning Ibadan sons and daughters would agree that the non-elevation of the members of the Olubadan-in-Council has stalled the promotion to the status of Oba of each deserving Baale or viceroys of adjoining communities that were hitherto traditionally being supervised by each of the High Chiefs that constituted members of the Olubadan-in-Council.
The governor, in a tour of each local government during the electioneering, also promised to visit the issue and ensure transparency and due process. In fulfilling his promise, instead of rushing the process, the governor allowed the prescribing and consenting authority to all chieftaincy issues in Ibadanland, the Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr) ‘Lekan Balogun, to officially ask him to implement the elevation of the High Chiefs, so as to create room for the promotion of other traditional rulers of adjoining towns. Secondly, the Oyo State House of Assembly, on May 24, 2023, passed a bill to amend the Chieftaincy Law, Cap 28, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000, after holding a stakeholders’ summit to get inputs of all concerned.
The passage by the House of Assembly followed the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Local Government and State Honors. Speaker of the Assembly, Rt Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, while announcing the passage of the amendment, commended the committee for a thorough job and described the amendment as a good development. The Ibadan system is so unique, such that succession is not hereditary and the new law has not in any way tampered with the traditional rotation of who will become the next Olubadan. Having fulfilled the constitutional requirements, from the request of the consenting authority to the passage into law by the State House of Assembly, Governor Makinde has not, in any way, done anything against the law to promote the Ibadan High Chiefs to beaded crown wearing kings.
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