Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state has cleared the air on the seeming controversy over who becomes the next Olubadan of Ibadan after last week’s demise of Oba Samuel Odulana.
Ajimobi, who fielded questions from State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, said there was no controversy over who becomes the next Olubadan because the system of succession was simple, transparent and rancour-free.
“The beauty of the Olubadan institution makes it unique in the whole of Nigeria. It is the only institution where we know the next 20 or 50 Obas. We don’t fight for it. Every house can produce an Olubadan, including my house.
“So, it is not limited like in some areas where you say this is the only family or these are the families. Every son of Ibadanland can become the Olubadan of Ibadanland. Therefore, we feel it is a rancour-less succession programme where everybody is qualified to be there. So, we know the next to the next, in fact we know the next 100th Olubadan.
“The Seriki House started during the period of Chief Adisa Akinloye and it has been decided even long ago that to be after the Seriki line, you have to join if there are concurrent deaths of both the Ekerin and Asipa, then you can qualify as Seriki to be Ekerin. But now, there is no vacancy for any Ekerin.
“The man who lays claim to be the next Olubadan, even if he were to be a Seriki now, which he is not, he would only be promoted to Ekerin, he cannot come from Seriki to be Olubadan. It is not going to happen. We have had one before that was promoted to Ekerin and along the line, he died. So, the people laying claim to Olubadan is just exercise in futility,” he said.
