Ibadan newly inaugurated Obas have said that it is a wrong impression for anybody to say that the new monarchs do not have domain.
They added that “the Olubadan and members of Obas In Council jointly rule Ibadanland as Oba Saliu Adetunji cannot rule without us.”
They were reacting to a statement credited to the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland and former governor Rashidi Ladoja that the new monarchs are without kingdoms.
The Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who addressed journalists after their first post-inauguration meeting, said that members of the Obas In Council formerly Olubadan-in-Council jointly and collectively hold Ibadanland as their domain .
Newspeakonline.com quoted Oba Olakulehin as saying that “Ladoja himself who said he cannot be an Oba without a domain is chairman of Ibadan South West traditional council, and apart from collecting stipends from government all of us report back to the Olubadan.
“The coming together of Oba Adetunji and Ladoja is nothing but politics borne out of selfish motives , Oba Adetunji is always dancing to the tune of Ladoja who refused to support the Olubadan chieftaincy review because he was unable to implement it when he was governor of Oyo state.”
According to him, each member of the Obas-in-Council, formerly Olubadan-in-Council is presiding over one of the eleven local government in Ibadanland, stating that they report back to the Olubadan on affairs in the local governments.
Describing Ladoja as a lone ranger in his opposition to the new system, the monarchs called on the former governor “to stop playing politics with the good step taken by governor Abiola Ajimobi on Ibadan chieftaincy matters”.
They maintained that the generality of Ibadan people supported the course because it will bring development to Ibadanland.
They disclosed that all the press releases coming from the palace were written by Mr Adeola Oloko in connivance with Ladoja under whom he served as Chief Press Secretary when he was governor.
The monarchs added that in the history of the ancient city, no Olubadan has ever collected millions of naira to install either mogaji or baale, stressing that it ridicules the traditional institution of Ibadanland.
They stressed that the Olubadan, instead of opposing Ajimobi, should be praising him because it was his intervention and other Ibadan elders that led them to reconcile with the Olubadan when they boycotted his palace for over two months over attitude unbecoming of a royal father of his status.
Other monarchs present at the meeting include Osi Balogun of Ibadanlan, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola , Ashipa Olubadan of Ibadanland , Oba Eddy Oyewole, Ashipa balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Lateef Adebimpe , Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi, Ekarun balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Kolawole Adegbola, and Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Amidu Ajibade .
