Olubadan: Desist from causing division, Makinde warns

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has cautioned those with intent on causing division over the Olubadan succession, urging them to rather focus on what unites than divides.

Makinde made this call after hosting Muslims who visited him at his residence in Ikolaba, Ibadan, to commemorate this year’s Eid-el-Fitr, on Wednesday.

Noting that the Ibadan traditional system was also tested before the emergence of the late Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, the Oyo governor said the process should be allowed to follow its due course of nomination by the kingmakers after which he would approve or not. 

Makinde wondered why all the fuss regarding the emergence of the next Olubadan, saying the Olubadan-in council was yet to send him a nomination. 

“As it is today, all tendencies, people who that we hitherto maybe we had differences, we are all together, united now. So it is a new Oyo State that is evolving where everybody is coming on board. So those whose stock in trade is to look at things that divide us should look for something else to do.  

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“Before I came in, they kept talking about Ibadan traditional system, got issues and all of that, and I said, the Obas in council are yet to meet to make their nomination and when they make their nomination, it will come to me and I will either say yes or no, that has not happened. 

“So, why are people focusing on things that are dividing us? I use this opportunity to say please focus on things that will unite us.”

Speaking on the forthcoming local government election, Makinde encouraged all residents of the state to participate in the election. 

He added: “For the upcoming local government election, our people should come out. It is less than three weeks away. And for those that will like to look at things that are negative, they did not conduct local government elections for seven years out of their own eight years, we have done one; we are doing another one, we are not allowing any gap.”