On January 2, the entire world woke up to the news of the demise of Oba Saliu Adetunji, the Olubadan of Ibadan. The monarch died after battling a brief illness at the University of Ibadan College Hospital (UCH), Oyo State.

The first of 17 children, Oba Adetunji was born on August 26, 1928 to Raji Olayiwola and Suwebat Amope Adetunji in Ibadan, Oyo State. While growing up, he learned several vocational jobs before eventually taking up fashion designing as his source of livelihood in the early 1950s. In 1960s, Adetunji floated a music record label known as Baba Laje Records — with the wealth he had made from the fashion designing profession.

Adetunji was installed as the 41st Olubadan in March 2016, but about 15 months down the line, a great fight broke out between him and 21 of his chiefs, led by Senator Lekan Balogun, the Otun Olubadan and next in line to the throne.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

It all started with Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the then governor, elevating some high chiefs and baales to king status. Ajimobi had set up a seven-man commission led by Hon. Justice Akintunde Boade to review the 1957 declaration of the Olubadan of Ibadan. Among others, the commission was to explore the chances of having more beaded-crown kings in the ancient city.

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Initially, Balogun had joined former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, the Osi Olubadan, to challenge Ajimobi for getting involved in the Olubadan traditional chieftaincy system. But the commission’s recommendation favoured Balogun and he soon backed out of the suit. Ajimobi crowned him and other Ibadan high chiefs and baales without the blessing of the Olubadan, whose exclusive right it was to install chiefs in the kingdom. Ladoja rejected Ajimobi’s elevation and went ahead with the legal tussle.

In 2018, an Ibadan High Court struck down the royalty of the 21 chiefs installed by Ajimobi, but the governor challenged Ladoja’s victory before an appeal court. The court, however, had not decided the case when the governor’s tenure elapsed and the incumbent Seyi Makinde was elected in 2019.

Makinde would not proceed with the case, but rather seek a peaceful resolution. The Court of Appeal granted the governor’s request, the state high court revoked the right to wear a crown given to the Ibadan high chiefs and baales by Ajimobi.

EXCHANGE OF HARSH WORDS

But the storm would not calm soon, as the high chiefs, led by Balogun, came up with a litany of accusations against the Olubadan. “Ever before the immediate past administration in the state initiated the review of the Ibadan Traditional Chieftaincy Declaration in 2017, two main issues had drawn a wedge between the palace and the members of the Olubadan-in-Council,” he said in a statement.

“The issues were the relegation of the members of the Olubadan-in-Council to mere onlookers and bystanders at the Olubadan-in-Council meetings where the oloris and some members of your Imperial Majesty’s family were the decision-makers.

“We are not aware of any of the Olubadans in the history of Ibadanland whose wives and family members were made members of Olubadan-in-Council. Our attempt to check this anomaly, through protest, was rebuffed and our personalities verbally attacked and recriminated by the oloris in the presence of your Imperial Majesty without a word of caution.

“The other issue which drew our ire and which was a reflection of the denial of our patriotic contributions at the Olubadan-in-Council meetings was the  commercialisation of Ibadan traditional titles the moment Your Imperial Majesty ascended the throne of Olubadan, which was a sharp departure from what we all agreed to and practised during the reign of your predecessor.

“It sounds odd, unthinkable and unimaginable that people now pay as much as N30 million to be installed as a traditional chief in Ibadanland. This is against one’s antecedents and family contributions to the development of Ibadanland, which are the traditional yardsticks to measure qualification for installation.

“The implication of this ‘cash and carry’ approach is the installation of some people with a questionable moral background at the expense of decent and genuine people with a proven track record and whose genuine and verifiable source of income could not meet the demand of the palace.”

Responding, Olubadan, through Mr. Adeola Oloko, his media assistant, said: “He should have disclosed where and when the money was paid. Was the money paid in cash, cheque or through transfer? Was it paid in local or foreign currency? What kind of traditional chieftaincy title was the so-called person asking from Olubadan, as alleged by High Chief Lekan Balogun?

“How much gain would the person possibly make from the alleged N30 million investment on the chieftaincy title, which he could have possibly invested in more profitable venture?”

Oloko expressed regrets that despite Balogun’s claim of having a sophisticated educational background and age, he could not differentiate between free comment and libel.

“What the high chiefs did not tell the public was that in September 2019, when the high chiefs came to plead with Olubadan that the vacant positions from Otun Balogun down to Jagun on both side be filled, what His Majesty requested from them was the usual N100, 000 per step. Thinking that His Majesty would ask for more but he asked for less, the high chiefs prostrated for Kabiesi in appreciation. The implication of this is that if you have two steps to climb, you are liable to pay only N200, 000.

“If you have three steps, you pay N300,000. Even when some of the high chiefs could not afford to pay, it was Chief Yemi Soladoye-led Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) that bailed them out. So, how can the respected monarch ask for N30 or any million naira from someone who cannot afford N100, 000 only?

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“The money in question, when collected, is always paid into the coffers of the Olubadan-in-Council. It is then disbursed at the end of every successful chieftaincy exercise and divided into three equal parts. While one part usually goes to Olubadan, the two other parts are always shared between Otun Olubadan and Balogun lines.

“When on 15th December 2016, the former governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi was honoured along with his wife, Florence, with the honorary chieftaincy titles of Aare and Yeye Aare of Ibadanland, that was how some of our high chiefs falsely accused Olubadan of having collected a sum of N50 million.

“They bluntly refused to be consoled until Ajimobi told them point blank that Kabiyesi did not charge anything, so he won’t give a dime to any chief. Former Governor Ajimobi is alive to confirm the story. We challenge high chief Balogun to produce demonstrable evidence of his claim.

“If you are Olubadan of Ibadanland at 91, like Oba Saliu Adetunji, what materialistic ambition could anyone be possibly pursuing with the enormous goodwill attached to the exalted throne? Suffering from what psychologists call projection, High Chief Lekan Balogun is a hawk who always labours under false pretence that all other creatures feed on chicks.

“We challenge Dr. Lekan Balogun to explain to the public who collected a sum of N6.5 million from Dr. Sunday Oladiti (now late) sometime in 2017 under the false pretence that he would help him secure promotion to Jagun from Oba Saliu Adetunji.

“When the man died without realizing his ambition, did High Chief Balogun refund his money to his family as his wife and children have come to the palace to seek Kabiesi’s intervention on the matter? We were reliably informed that the last minute withdrawal of High Chief Lekan Balogun from the suit he jointly instituted with Osi Olubadan, High Chief Rasidi Ladoja, against Oyo State Government in 2017 was not unconnected with financial assistance offered to him by the former governor. If in doubt, check the EFCC zonal office in Ibadan and possibly the State Police Headquarters, Eleyele for clarification.

“Another case is the case of Baale Alape in Ibadan North West Local Government Traditional Council where the high chief was fingered in the illegal installation of the Baale without the approval of Olubadan, who is the prescribed and consenting authority on all chieftaincy matters in Ibadanland. Only last December he came to the palace along with some high chiefs, notably High Chiefs Eddy Oyewole and Amidu Ajibade to prostrate and asked Kabiesi for forgiveness.

“If anyone is looking for a General to lead a battle, don’t go for the likes of High Chief Lekan Balogun. He is a General without troops. Imagine one single person signing on behalf of six other high chiefs. High Chief Lekan Balogun also claimed in the letter that Kabiesi installed some people with questionable moral background. Would it not be better for him to mention them so that they could be investigated and possibly be removed? Otherwise, this is a case of pot calling the kettle black.

“The high chief who prefers to call himself an Oba stated in his letter that any promotion granted the Mogajis before Ikolaba title remains a nullity the moment such is done under the seal of kabiesi as His Imperial Majesty. Firstly, High Chief Lekan Balogun is better advised to go and read the official programme of the Oyo State Government when Kabiyesi Olubadan was installed on Friday March 4, 2016.

“What he would find on the programme is the seal of His Imperial Majesty. Incidentally, High Chief Lekan Balogun was a member of the Coronation Committee. So, that was a clear 15 months interval before the controversial review of the Olubadan Chieftaincy declaration by the last administration.

“So, is High Chief Lekan Balogun saying that the Oyo State Government made a mistake then. Secondly, what law, what gazette or chieftaincy review conferred Imperial Majesty status on other Obas of equal status with Olubadan who are using it? We challenge the high chiefs to please produce it.

“The high chief was reported elsewhere of threatening that as kingmakers who enthroned Olubadan, they reserve the right to remove him. The high chief is better reminded that this empty threat is not new and sustainable, as he has said it in 2018 and denied it later. For the benefit of the public, there is no law that empowers any high chief or group of high chiefs to remove Olubadan. On the contrary, it is Olubadan who can suspend or peg any erring chief for act of contumely.”

Ahead of Makinde’s inauguration as Oyo State Governor in May 2019, the Olubadan told his estranged high chiefs to remove their illegal crowns if they desired to return to the palace and carry out their responsibilities, as two kings cannot sit in a palace. But until the king’s demise, there was no sign that Lekan obeyed, still insisting in 2017 that the said the high chiefs could not remove their own crowns.