Review of Olubadan chieftaincy declaration invitation to anarchy, ill-timed – Ibadan indigenes

Some indigenes of Ibadan, under the auspices of De Western Caucus Club of Ibadan, have declared that the recent review of the Olubadan chieftaincy declaration is an invitation to anarchy and ill-timed.

The group made this declaration via a statement made available to DAILY POST on Tuesday.

DAILY POST gathered that the Oyo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde, recently reviewed the 1957 Olubadan chieftaincy declaration.

Some parts of the newly amended Olubadan chieftaincy declaration of 2023 were made available to the public on Friday during the coronation of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin Ige Olakulehin I.

De Western Caucus Club of Ibadan, in its reaction, described the review as unnecessary and an invitation to crisis.

In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Ajani Oyeniyi, the group noted that the review has no cultural and economic value but instead brought sacrilege, desecration, and abomination to the immemorial rich cultural values of Ibadanland which has been the envy of other tribes.

Oyeniyi, in the statement called on eminent sons and daughters of Ibadanland to reject the new law.

“The recent review of Section 4 of the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration is not necessary but an invitation to crisis, anarchy, and distortion of facts on Ibadanland’s customs and traditions, which clearly distinguish Ibadan cultural heritage from other tribes.

“The review is ill-timed, targeted at individuals, and has no cultural and economic value but instead brought sacrilege, desecration, and abomination to the immemorial rich cultural values of Ibadanland, which has been the envy of other tribes.

“The questions which readily come to mind for the democratically elected state government to answer are as follows:

“What is the necessity for the recent review of Section 4 of the 1957 declaration if not for selfish interest, political vendettas, denial of High Chief Ladoja’s right to ascend the throne of Olubadan, and attempt to cause crisis in Ibadanland where peaceful co-existence reigns supreme? In whose interest is the review as no meaningful indigene of Ibadan will support such a review, which is of no benefit for the corporate existence of Ibadanland?

“Why distribute the gazette containing the recently reviewed section of the said Chieftaincy Declaration freely, which is meant for sale and can boost the internally generated revenue of the state during the coronation ceremony of Friday, July 12, 2024, if not for a hidden agenda?

“Where is it stated in the Chieftaincy Law or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that traditional titles be imposed upon individuals or groups of people like the one called ‘crown’ in Ibadan, neither recognized nor acceptable to the generality of Ibadan indigenes? The club rejects the said review like other meaningful clubs, associations, societies, and individuals of Ibadan origin, as it is an attempt to truncate Chief Ladoja’s ascension to the Olubadan throne.

“The club advises Ibadan indigenes home and abroad to ensure that the laid-down procedure of ascension to the Olubadan throne is not distorted or tampered with by anybody, no matter how highly placed, as the enthronement is purely traditional and not politically based.”