A new dawn has begun, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as the embattled Ibadan obas have returned to the palace of Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I, for reconciliation.
The reconciliation came, on Monday, as three among the eight Ibadan traditional chiefs, who were elevated to beaded crown-wearing monarchs, held a reconciliatory meeting with the Olubadan in his palace at Popoyemoja, Ibadan.
The eight chiefs elevated to kings are members of the Olubadan-in-Council, which comprises 11 ‘High Chiefs’ from two ruling lines that produce occupiers of Olubadan stool on rotational basis. But Olubadan has refused to recognise the new kings with their new status since they were crowned on Sunday August 27,2017 at Mapo Hall, Ibadan.
Daily Sun gathered that The last time the Olubadan and his chiefs sat together for a meeting was May 2017. But Oba Adetunji received his chiefs with open arms amid drums and fanfare.
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The Otun Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, who is the next in rank to Olubadan, led one other crowned monarch, Oba Hamidu Ajibade, who is the Ekarun Olubadan, to the palace for the meeting.
The Osi Olubadan, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who is a former governor of Oyo State, and who refused to accept the beaded crown from the former government in the state, was also in the palace to receive the returning traditional rulers with Oba Adetunji.
The meeting, which was said to have lasted for about 30 minutes, reportedly discussed issues bordering on whether the new kings would drop their crowns and revert to their former titles or retain them.
It was observed that apart from the Otun Chieftaincy Line, the Balogun Line under the leadership of the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, was not represented at the meeting. He, however, could not be reached on his mobile phone on Monday for comment on the development.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Oba Lekan Balogun, said: “We are one family for God’s sake. Why will you be surprised? We are one family and we are re-uniting, and that is all.
“The issue of controversy is not for this kind of meeting. We will talk of that when we start talking together. But we are re-uniting. We will sort out ourselves. The meeting was meant to bring us together.
“We are one family and it has been a long time we met, and we decided to re-unite. We will be having the meeting every two weeks, and this is just the beginning. We have come to our house.”
On his part, Senator Ladoja, also told journalists that “In every dispute, when you war-war, you have to jaw-jaw. We have got the approval and reconciliation has started. I am sure everybody will be happy about it, and the whole of Ibadan is happy about it. We have come to tell the Kabiyesi that now, the council has come back again.
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“Even, cases in court, there is no court that does not promote reconciliation, that is the essence of talking to one another. When you don’t talk, then you don’t know how to go about it. When you start talking, then everything will be addressed. Now that we have started meeting together, the issues will be sorted out. We thank God.”
Personal Assistant/Director of Media and Public Affairs to Olubadan, Mr. Adeola Oloko, said: “We have started exploring different means to resolve the crisis. And every crisis is always resolved at the negotiating table. This is why the Kabiyesi has invited them (his chiefs) to a meeting so that they could continue as before.
“If you look at the way things are going, chieftaincy system in Ibadanland is built around promotion. So, if people are able to come together, those who deserve promotion may be promoted, and they could be meeting like before, and we are very happy.
“Olubadan is not opposed to reconciliation because he is the father of all. He is the monarch of Ibadan. He wants the unity and indivisibility of Ibadan, and that is why Olubadan has decided to fling his doors open to chiefs so that they can come back again. Every problem in life has an expiry date.”
