The Otun Olubadan of Ibadan, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, has dragged the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun to court over the recent elevation of 10 Ibadan High Chiefs to beaded crown-wearing Obas.
In the suit filed before the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, Ladoja also joined the newly-elevated Obas as defendants.
The PUNCH had exclusively reported, on June 22, that Makinde approved the elevation of the Ibadan High Chiefs to Obas following Olubadan’s recommendation.
It will also be recalled that the governor last Friday presented Staff of Office to the new Obas.
The new Obas are Owolabi Olakulehin; Tajudeen Ajibola; Eddy Oyewole; Lateef Adebimpe; Biodun Kola-Daisi; Kola Adegbola; Hamidu Ajibade; Olubunmi Isioye; Bayo Akande and Abiodun Azeez.
Ladoja, who is also an Ibadan high chief, had earlier rejected the elevation and was absent from the crowning ceremony.
The former Oyo governor explained that he was only interested in becoming Olubadan.
“I’m not interested in any other crown apart from that of Olubadan of Ibadanland. And everyone of us knows that it’s God that chooses Oba in Ibadan,” he said.
Ladoja had also had a running legal battle with Makinde’s predecessor, the late former governor Abiola Ajimobi, who had also elevated some chiefs and baales to Obas in 2017.
Ladoja won the court case, which dragged into Makinde’s first term.
Makinde, however, chose not to appeal the case, while the high chiefs dropped their crown, paving way for emergence of the present Olubadan.
