Royal rumble over Olubadan stool

Until the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade 1 joined his ancestors 10 days ago, no one in his wildest imagination could think that the orderly arranged ascendancy to the throne of Olubadan  could be enmeshed in this kind of crisis. Hitherto, many had thought the rancour-free arrangement of the titles was the best in the South West . However,  unfolding events in the traditional council of the ancient city have shown that ‘the rich also cry’

Until the court says otherwise, there are two ruling lines to the throne of Olubadan. They are the civil and military lines. These two royal lines have been producing the Olubadan. Previous kings were appointed on rotational basis to occupy the stool on the death of a monarch.  The next to Olubadan and most senior on both lines are the Otun Olubadan and Balogun.

But now a third royal line, the Seriki line led by Chief Adebayo Oyediji  is laying claim to the crown, saying  it has a court judgment, which had long ago recognised it as the third line.  The trouble started when two high chiefs, late Omowale Kuye  and Sulaiman Omiyale died in quick succession thus leaving the stools of Balogun and Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland vacant. Oyedeji, sensing  alleged plans to by-pass his lineage, headed to the court to seek redress.

In a motion filed on his behalf by his lawyer, A.G. Adeniran in an Oyo state High court, Chief Adediji alleged that the Olubadan-in-Council had since 1989 refused to obey a Supreme Court judgment, which ordered that the Seriki line be admitted into the Olubadan line. According to him, since the death of Chief Adisa Meredith Akinloye, who was also denied the opportunity, the Olubadan in Council has been denying his line their rights of becoming the third royal line in accordance with the court judgment.

The chief alluded to a 1959 Ekerin Balogun of Ibadan Chieftaincy Declaration that put  Seriki under the Ekerin Balogun of Ibadan and stated that Seriki can only be promoted to Ekerin Balogun,  if there are two simultaneous vacancies occurring in the Ashipa and Ekerin Balogun titles. Based on the victory his line got, the then Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Oloyede Asanke and all the Chiefs prevailed on the Seriki chiefs not to insist on three lines for the Olubadan chieftaincy, that rather, chiefs in the Seriki line should cross to Ekerin Balogun and Ekerin Olubadan whenever there is a vacancy in any of the two lines.

Since the two occupants of the titles are dead on both sides of the Balogun and Otun Olubadan, he says it is the turn of Seriki to become the Olubadan. He went further, saying, “when the agreement was reached, the late Odulana was the only senior ranking High Chief in the Olubadan line and we were on the same rank. If that agreement is followed, I am the next person to succeed him.” He also prayed the court to “set aside the purported appointments made by the 1st defendant (Oba Odulana) to fill vacancies existing in the chieftaincy titles of Ekerin Olubadan, Ashipa Olubadan, Osi  Olubadan, Otun Olubadan and Balogun Olubadan of Ibadan since the 21st of November, 2008 up till the last appointment he made on the 1st of January, 2016.

He also  said that the court should “set aside the purported approval granted by the Governor of Oyo state on the 5th of January, 2016 or thereabout to the appointments made by the 1st defendant on the 1st of January, 2016 to fill vacancies existing in the chieftaincy titles. This, of course, did not go down well with the 11 high chiefs that constitute Olubadan-in-council. The high chiefs in the council include: Osi Olubadan, Asipa Olubadan, Ekerin Olubadan and Ekarun Olubadan. From the second line, we have Otun Balogun, Osi Balogun, Asipa Balogun, Ekerin Balogun and Ekarun Balogun. Seriki and Iyalode are also members of the Olubadan privy council.

These high chiefs also double as the kingmakers. They hold the power of life and death as regards chieftaincy matters. Except when the agitation of the Seriki royal line first came up, no one had the guts to challenge the council.  Their voice is akin to the voice of the gods. These high chiefs have said in unequivocal terms that they recognise High Chief Saliu Adetunji as the next Olubadan.

Speaking through High Chief Abimbola Tajudeen Ajibola, the Ashipa Balogun of Ibadanland, the council showed its preference,saying: “It is undisputed that the current High Chief qualified to be Olubadan is High Chief S. A. Adetunji. That is the authentic one. No other one. Any other one is a counterfeit.   You know in this our institution, we have lines and there are only two lines recognized so far, both by law and otherwise. It is Otun Olubadan Line and Balogun Line, and that is all. There is no third line. Nobody is competent to say he can be Olubadan. He cannot appoint himself; he cannot put himself there.  “

As things are now, the Seriki line seems to be walking on a tight rope.  It is gathered that the line may never be allowed to join the queue since the same chiefs who are equally aspiring to become Olubadan are the ones to approve the promotion of Chief Adediji to Seriki. South West Voice gathered that since the death of Chief Adisa Akinloye, many people who belonged to the Seriki other line had moved to either of the two lines. Pending the outcome of the suit, it is difficult to say specifically who will win the royal tussle between Olubadan in council and the Seriki line.