The Oyo State former Commissioner of Justice, Prof. Oyelowo, Oyewo, has warned the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on re-installing a new Olubadan due to conferment of Obaship titles on some Chiefs by the Late Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

In a letter sighted by Eons Intelligence, and addressed to the Governor on January 3, 2022, the Commissioner of Justice revealed the former Governor, who is now deceased, conferred the title of Obaship on some High Chiefs and Baales, without thinking of the legal effects of his actions.

Prof. Oyewo, who described it as a 'Traditional aberration', said the late Governor Ajimobi also gave the High Chiefs and Baales the right to wear beaded crowns and coronets in 2017, an action which was challenged in court.

The late Abiola Ajimobi had elevated some high chiefs and baales to king status. Ajimobi had set up a seven-man commission led by Hon. Justice Akintunde Boade to review the 1957 declaration of the Olubadan of Ibadan. Among others, the commission was to explore the chances of having more beaded-crown kings in Ibadan.

In 2018, an Ibadan High Court annuled the royalty of the 21 chiefs installed by late Governor Ajimobi. The court, however, had not decided the case when the late Governor's tenure ended and Engr. Seyi Makinde emerged as the new Governor.

The letter reads in part; 'Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957 was not amended and therefore remians extant. Under that Declaration and all relevant laws, no Oba can ascend to the throne of Olubadan. In other words, as long as the High Chlefs still cling to the title of Oba, they cannot ascend to that throne and any installation of any of them during the pendency of that suit, is illegal, null and void. 

In the entire history of Ibadanland, we have never had such a situation where the legality or otherwise of the installation of the Olubadan would be an issue and this was what your predecessor did not take into consideration before venturing into an illegal journey, Ibadan Chieftaincy elevation had always been smooth and without any rancour to the envy of all other towns It is in line with this legal situation that I advice, most humbly, that you should withhold any approval of any High Chief to become the Olubadan so that you will not also join in the desecration of Ibadan Chieftaincy Customary law..

There are only two ways to deal with this situation: one is for the High Chiefs to withdraw the aforementioned cases and the other is to wait for the Court to pronounce on it before any step is taken to instal an Olubadan. If the court holds that they havce the right to be Obas and entitled to wear beaded crowns, then they are perpetually barred from becoming another Oba. Nowhere in the customary law of any Yoruba town is an Oba elevated to become another Oba

If, on the other hand, the Court holds that the Terms of Settlement stands, and their obaship title is illegal, then they are free to be elevated to the post of Olubadan. The ball, your Excellency, is in their court."

The Late Olubadan of Ibadan, 93, ascended to join his ancestors on Sunday morning at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, after emerging on the throne on March 4, 2016.

His death came three weeks after the demise of another Oyo Monarch, Oba. Dr. Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi, Ajagungbade III, the Soun of Ogbomoso land.

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