Kingmakers to decide on next Olubadan today

Kingmakers in Oyo state are set to decide on the next Olubadan of Ibadanland on Friday.

The Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, is widely expected to be ratified to become the Olubadan of Ibadanland today by the Olubadan-in-Council.

His name will then be forwarded to Governor Seyi Makinde, for approval.

The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Olubadan Palace at Oja’ba in the Ibadan South East Local Government Area of the state.

The Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland and former governor of Oyo State, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, had, on Wednesday, announced that the meeting, earlier scheduled for Thursday, was moved to Friday (today) in view of the public holidays.

The meeting is expected to bring to a halt, the controversies surrounding the nomination of Oba Olakulehin, after the demise of Oba Lekan Balogun on March 14, 2024.

On Thursday that some of the Ibadan crowned Obas might not honour today’s meeting for reasons best known to them.

A source, who did not want his name in print, said, “I may confirm to you that some of them will not honour the invitation, even though they were duly informed. None of them (the kingmakers) will deny or say he hasn’t received the message to that effect.”

It was also gathered from another source that Oba Olakulehin may be present at the meeting today.

All eyes are, therefore, on the kingmakers who had been duly notified of today’s meeting to ratify and pronounce Oba Olakulehin as the new Olubadan of Ibadanland.

In line with the Ibadan chieftaincy arrangement, the nomination of the new monarch must be made by the person next to him in his line at a meeting convened by the most senior chief in the other line.