Condemnations and criticisms have continued to trail a statement made by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State regarding the enthronement of the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Owolabi Akinloye Olakulehin.
Olakulehin, from the Okugbaja lineage, was nominated and appointed as the 43rd Olubadan by the Olubadan-in-Council on April 12, 2024. However, during the burial ceremony of the late 42nd Olubadan, Oba Mahood Olalekan Balogun, Governor Makinde stated that Olakulehin would ascend the throne “when he is strong enough to complete the processes for his installation.”
This statement has sparked diverse reactions from prominent indigenes and groups in Ibadanland. The socio-cultural organization Ibile G-7 expressed discomfort with the governor’s assertion, describing it as unfortunate and capable of causing dissatisfaction. The group questioned Makinde’s authority to determine Olakulehin’s fitness, stating that only a medical practitioner can make such an assessment.
Similarly, Bayonle Busari, a lecturer at Lead City University, advised the governor against bastardizing the Ibadan traditional institution. Busari argued that introducing unilateral conditions for the Olubadan’s coronation could set a precedent that entangles the process and subjects the institution to governmental control.
The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Wasiu Olawale Sadare, also criticized the governor’s statement, accusing him of aspiring to become an emperor in the state. Sadare asserted that Makinde has no business selecting the next Olubadan and should allow the traditional process to take its course.
However, the President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Barrister Adeniyi Ajewole, maintained that the issue of the new Olubadan’s coronation is an internal affair that will be resolved internally among the indigenes of Ibadanland.
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