Eminent Ibadan indigenes, including high-ranking traditional titleholders, are intensifying efforts to persuade the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Rasidi Ladoja, to accept a beaded crown as a monarch instead of continuing to be recognized merely as a High Chief.
According to the Nigerian Tribune, this move aims to de-escalate the ongoing tension surrounding the issue of succession and chieftaincy titles in Ibadan.
This renewed pressure follows the precedent set by the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, who had presented crowns to some members of the Olubadan Advisory Council.
High Chief Ladoja had notably declined this offer, maintaining that the only crown acceptable to him is that of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Ladoja’s refusal led to a legal challenge, which he later withdrew to facilitate the installation of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Despite this, the issue remains unresolved, particularly with the release of a new gazette by the Oyo State Government.
The gazette amends some parts of the Ibadan Chieftaincy Declaration, recognizing only crowned Obas as bonafide successors to the Olubadan throne.
The State Commissioner of Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, has publicly debunked claims that the reform targets Ladoja specifically.
However, stakeholders continue to believe that Ladoja’s acceptance of the beaded crown is crucial for maintaining the seamless process of selecting the Olubadan and reducing the tension surrounding the succession.