High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, the Otun-Olubadan of Ibadanland, has clarified that he is not interested in wearing any other crown than the Olubadan crown.
Ladoja told journalists at his residence after the Eid prayers that it has always been his target to become the Olubadan, therefore he will not wear any other crown
There has been speculation that the Ibadan high chiefs would be installed as beaded crown-wearing kings from July 7.
Some high chiefs, who were crowned during the administration of the late Abiola Ajimobi, have surrendered the crowns after an out-of-court settlement.
The gesture was to pave the way for Oba Lekan Balogun’s ascension to the Olubadan throne.
However, Ladoja said information at his disposal revealed that the high chiefs are now seeking permission to resume wearing of their surrendered crowns.
Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State, said it is illegal for any Ibadan high chief to think he can resume wearing an already surrendered beaded crown.
He said there would not have been a new Olubadan of Ibadan by now if the high chiefs had failed to surrender their crowns and withdrew the case in court.
“I joined the Olubadan line on October 1, 1993. I joined as ‘Jagun Olubadan’ and my target was to become Olubadan. I did not expect that I was going to wear any beaded crown on the way.
“If I wanted to do that, I would have become the ‘Baale’ of my village and I will be called ‘Baale’. Our role as high chiefs is to advise and support the Olubadan, not to wear crown with him,” Ladoja said.
The former governor said he as a person is not interested in any other crown apart from that of Olubadan of Ibadanland, adding that “only God chooses kings in Ibadan”.
Ladoja expressed dismay at the fact that some high chiefs want to short-circuit the system, saying the attitude is alien to the Ibadan tradition.
He said it is not fair or right to have high chiefs as kings, adding there is no need to mend what was not broken.
“I told them the story of Aliiwo. When Aliiwo was coming from Iwo, he passed through Lagun village where he left his followers to stay with other warriors in Ibadan.
“If he had wanted to become Onilagun of Lagun, he would have done so. But people who started Ibadan said that they want to rule themselves. They want to rule the villages from the town,” the Otun-Olubadan said.
The former governor added that he would however not go to court on the matter, saying there is no issue in the agitation of the high chiefs.
Ladoja said any Ibadan indigene can go to court over such issues since every bona fide Ibadan man is a potential king
– NAN