Governor Abiola Ajimobi has said that the review of the Olubadan chieftaincy law was at the prompting of concerned citizens and elders of the city of Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
The Governor spoke during the Democracy Day 2017 media interactive session organized by the Ibadan Zonal Station of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, at its zonal headquarters, Dugbe, Ibadan, on Wednesday.
He said that the proposed review would not diminish the status of the current Olubadan or those that would come after him, noting that having more kings in Ibadanland can only enhance the prestige of the revered monarch.
The governor said that none of his predecessor had elevated the Olubadan monarchy as he did, a feat, he said, informed the decision of the reigning Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, to confer on him the redoubtable traditional title of Are (the generalissimo) of Ibadanland.
The governor said, “We are not changing the protocol of the emergence of Olubadan. The beauty of the succession plan is that we know who the next 40 Olubadans will be. But we want to review the law to accommodate more beaded kings, who will be responsible to the Olubadan as the prime monarch.
“For those who may not know, the league of Mogajis, Ibadan elders and majority of the members of Olubadan-in-council (high chiefs and potential Olubadans), prompted me to carry out this review
They held a meeting with me recently to express their solidarity with what we are doing.
“They only told me that they would want the inclusion of more indigenes of Ibadan as members of the judicial commission of inquiry and I don’t have any qualms with that. We will not be deterred in seeing the review through. Nobody can intimidate us, because we are on the right track.
“No governor has elevated the Olubadan monarchy more than me. I contributed significantly. for the new palace project. During the installation of the new Olubadan I invited first class monarchs from across the country. None of my predecessors ever did these. The reigning Olubadan is my father.
“The immediate past Olubadan made me Are Atunluse because of our impressive urban renewal programme. What we are saying is that communities with less population have more than one king. Why should Ibadan that has 11 Local Governments and 14 Local Council Development Areas have only one.”
