Controversy over succession to Olubadan’s Throne needless – Former Governor 

A former governor of Oyo State and Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has described the controversy trailing the succession to the throne of Olubadan as needless.

On Thursday, the former governor spoke at his Bodija, Ibadan residence, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant and senator representing Oyo Central, Senator Teslim Folarin, led bigwigs in the party to pay a condolence visit to Ladoja on the death of Oba Adetunji. Ladoja is the second most senior chief in the Civil Lines to produce the next Olubadan of Ibadan, following Oba Saliu Adetunji’s death.

Ladoja noted that the controversy should not have arisen as the succession plan is unambiguous, adding that Lekan Balogun is the most senior and next in line to the throne.

He revealed that in 2017, a case was instituted to challenge the needless reform that Abiola Ajimobi, as governor then, wanted to carry out, saying almost all the kingmakers, as high chiefs and members of the Olubadan-in-Council, agreed to the filing of the suit to challenge him. Some of the high chiefs later demanded that their names be removed from the suit, leaving only Balogun and himself.

Ladoja urged the people of the state not to see him as a trouble maker, noting that the cases in court in respect of the Obaship tussle were instituted by Balogun and his colleagues who still call themselves Obas.

The former governor urged the indigenes of Ibadan to prevail on Chief Lekan Balogun and other chiefs to withdraw all cases in court and reduce the tension in the town.

Suzan O.