By Adeyinka Adeniran
High Chief Rashidi Ladoja on Wednesday led the other members of the Olubadan Advisory Council to the Alarere residence of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, for an emergency council meeting.
The development could be described as a dramatic turn of event as it was against the hostile posture exhibited to the Otun Olubadan and the former governor by members of the Council at the last meeting of the Council held on September 18.
However, at yesterday’s meeting, the former governor was not only in attendance, he also participated actively at the meeting.
Driving in a convoy, all the members of the Council, (save for Oba Adebayo Akande, the Ekarun Olubadan), drove in at few minutes past noon with Oba Owolabi Olakulehin (Balogun of Ibadanland) leading other Obas including, Eddy Oyewole (Osi Olubadan), Tajudeen Ajibola (Otun Balogun), Lateef Gbadamosi Adebimpe (Osi Balogun), Biodun Kola-Daisi (Ashipa Olubadan), Kolawole Adegbola (Ashipa Balogun), Hamidu Ajibade (Ekerin Olubadan), John Dada Isioye (Ekerin Balogun) and Abiodun Azeez (Ekarun Balogun).
Speaking after the meeting, Ladoja said he was invited to the meeting, saying, “I honoured the invitation for a meeting at the palace to resolve issue around the constitution of some committees that are exclusive right of members of Olubadan Advisory Council including Chieftaincy Installation and Dispute Resolution Committee.
“Membership of the committee is an exclusive right of the Olubadan Advisory Council and not open to non-members”, he said.
The former governor further explained on the court case which necessitated the call on him by other members of the Council to stay off the Advisory Council’s meetings, noting that he’s challenging the elevation of nine High Chiefs to the status of Obas in court.
He said his decision to challenge some decisions taken by the government and Advisory Council was not born out of personal interest but to protect the revered traditional stool, adding, “like I said earlier, I bear no grudge against anybody. My going to court boils down on principle. We should do whatever is right and resist whatever is wrong.
“I went to court in my capacity as Otun Olubadan and not as Rashidi Ladoja to protect the interest of the institution. We are only testing if whether has been done is legal or illegal. It is not directed towards anybody.
“The aspiration of anybody from Jagun to Olubadan is to become Olubadan and we have to protect that institution and resist anything that we feel cannot pass the legal test. Governor Seyi Makinde in his defence for the amendment of the Chiefs Law is that the House of Chiefs has not been meeting for a long time.
“But, there is a letter that prevented them from meeting right from the first tenure of late Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the letter has not been rescinded. These are the issues that need to be trashed constitutionally. I am not suing the affected people and organs of government as Rashidi Ladoja but I am suing them as Otun Olubadan who must protect the interest of the institution”, High Chief Ladoja added.
The former governor noted that people are being emotional about the development, adding that “we have seen a situation whereby husband and wife that have filed a divorce suit are still living together under the same roof”.
High Chief Ladoja said the outcome of the meeting was successful, stressing that “we are here to see Kabiyesi, the meeting is a successful one. We deliberated on the constitution of the Chieftaincy Dispute Resolution Committee that ought to be exclusive right of the members of the Olubadan Advisory Council”.
