Ladoja: No controversy over Lekan Balogun becoming Olubadan — he’s next in line

Rashidi Ladoja, the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland and former governor of Oyo, says the controversy over the successor to the throne of the Olubadan is unnecessary.

The royal stool became vacant following the death of Saliu Adetunji on Sunday.

Although the royal succession system recognises Lekan Balogun, a former senator and currently the Otun Olubadan as next in line, Michael Lana, a former attorney-general of the state, had said Balogun was not qualified to take the position.

Lana, in a letter to the Oyo government, had claimed that Balogun and other high chiefs that were crowned by the late Abiola Ajimobi, immediate past governor of the state, in 2017, have no claim to the throne of the Olubadan.

Of all the high chiefs in Ibadan, only Ladoja refused to be crowned at the time.

Speaking on the controversy on Thursday, Ladoja said he has nothing against the choice of Balogun but advised him and other high chiefs to withdraw a case they instituted in court.

“There is no controversy about it. Lekan Balogun is the most senior in our line and so he is the next in line to the throne,” he said.

“For those asking, Lekan is my senior and he is next in line to the Olubadan stool.

“In 2017, we instituted a case to challenge the needless reform that Ajimobi wanted to do. Almost all of us as high chiefs and members of the Olubadan-in-council agreed to the filing of a suit to challenge him and we gave the task to Michael Lana.

“Lana later called me to say some of the high chiefs told him to remove their names from the suit, leaving only Balogun and myself. Two weeks after we started the case, Balogun said he was no longer interested in the case.

“We won the case at the state high court and Ajimobi appealed. In a judgment, the appeal court, a few days to the exit of Ajimobi from government, sent the case back to the high court for retrial.

“By the time, there had been a new government headed by Makinde who said he did not want the distraction of the suit and called for out-of-court settlement which we agreed to and did.

“After the terms of the settlement were agreed to, the court gave a consent judgment based on the terms. But they said they were not happy and instituted two fresh cases which are still in court till today.

“So, I need people to understand that I am not causing any trouble. The cases that are in court today in respect of the Obaship tussle were instituted by Balogun and his colleagues who are still calling themselves Obas.

“Let them go and withdraw the cases they instituted. I don’t like the unwarranted tension this matter is generating.”

Meanwhile, the Ibadan high chiefs, on Wednesday, announced Lekan Balogun as the Olubadan designate.