Senator Lekan Balogun Is The New Olubadan, Nobody Can Change The Decision Of The Kingmakers, Not Even Court — Yomi Aliyyu, SAN

An Ibadan based Lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Yomi Aliyyu, has described the current controversy over the ascendancy of the throne of the Olubadan as ‘man-made’. According to him, the constitution of the king makers is proper and in line with the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration which says four high chiefs from each of the two sides will constitute the kingmakers.

“I don’t see any controversy in the ascendancy of the throne of the Olubadan, maybe I should call it a man-made controversy. The 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration says four high chiefs from each of the two sides will constitute the kingmakers. From the first side, they are Otun Olubadan; Osi Olubadan, Eketa Olubadan and Ekerin Olubadan. From the other side, the four high chiefs are (Balogun) Otun Balogun; Osi Balogun; Ashipa Balogun and Ekerin Balogun. Those are the eight people that constitute the kingmakers in Ibadan. When the late Abiola Ajimobi (former governor) made these chiefs obas, they still retained those nomenclature. They were not removed from their offices as Otun Olubadan, Osi Olubadan; Otun Balogun; Osi Balogun and so on. The declaration has not changed and the modern day lawyers who want to do lawyers’ work are the ones raising the dust over the matter.” Aliyyu said

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria opined that the next Olubadan is Senator Lekan Balogun because Kingmakers have said so. He further noted that the decision of the king makers cannot be changed by anyone, not even in any court.

He said, “The kingmakers have said that. They said out of the 11 kingmakers, only one of them abstained. They did not say he voted against Otun Olubadan. One person abstained from voting and others voted unanimously for Senator Lekan Balogun to become the new Olubadan. Nobody can change that in any court. Senator Lekan Balogun was a senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party then and he cannot say because he was elected on the platform of PDP as a senator, he will not be fair to those in All Progressives Congress or other political parties. A king is a father to all irrespective of his subjects’ political affiliation or religious beliefs. Kabiyesi is for everybody and that is how it has always been.”

Aliyyu faulted a claim by a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Oyo State, Michael Lana, in a letter to the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, that Senator Lekan Balogun could not be made the Olubadan now because he was already promoted an Oba and it would be an aberration for him to be crowned twice. Aliyyu described Lana’s assertion as academic having no legal backing.

“That is academic. There is no law to support his claims. He should have cited the law that supports his claim that immediately you are a king, you cannot be a king again. There are Atobatele in Yoruba. He can be promoted from Royal Majesty to Imperial Majesty. Even culture is not static, it is dynamic. There was a time twins were being killed but that has changed. There was a time that before you could be a king, you must have tribal marks but is that happening again now? No.” Aliyyu said

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria warned that politics should not be brought into how people ascend the throne of Ibadan because doing so will cause mayhem that even the government may not be able to solve. He added that Ladoja cannot become the new Olubadan now because he still has two people in front of him so it is not his turn.

He said, “Ibadan is so dynamic that you cannot bring politics into how people ascend the throne. If you do that, you will cause mayhem that even the government may not be able to solve. So, I don’t think anybody should play politics with it. Did Ladoja say he wants to become the new Olubadan now? He cannot. He still has two people in front of him so it is not his turn. He has Lekan Balogun and High Chief Owolabi Olakulehin before him. Olakulehin is the Otun Balogun, so some people are making the mistake that Ladoja comes after Lekan Balogun. No, that’s not true. Olakulehin will be Olubadan after Lekan Balogun. Olakulehin himself will never take that kind of a gift even if it is given to him when it’s not his turn”

Aliyu therefore advised the Governor Makinde “confirm Lekan Balogun as the Olubadan and put an end to the man-made controversy. Ibadan has never been in turmoil because of the ascendancy of the Olubadan throne. It has never happened. Even when Bishop Akinyele was cheated, another person was announced, he went and congratulated him. He was cheated by the government in power then. It was during (Obafemi) Awolowo’s time but he never complained. There won’t be any problem.”