Barely twenty-four hours after the Oyo state government announced the withdrawal of their crowns, the 21 new kings in Ibadan land, on Thursday, November 21, kicked at the decision. Justice Aderonke Aderemi of the state high court, Ibadan, had in his judgement on Tuesday, November 19, asked the Obas to drop their crowns in view of the setting aside of all the gazettes relating to their promotion consequent upon the out of court settlement said to have been agreed upon by the parties in the suit.
We gathered that in the suit filed by the Osi Olubadan of Ibadan, Rashidi Ladoja, a former governor of the state, it was disclosed that the state government which had appealed the initial judgement of the lower court which earlier nullified the elevation of the Obas had opted out and preferred the matter resolved out of court.
But the new kings said those behind the judgement did not consult the interest of Ibadan land, saying that they rejected the move by the state government.
In their communiqué issued after the meeting headed by high chief Lekan Balogun, the new kings said: “Those behind the judgement did not consult the interest of Ibadanland. We, as Obas and representatives of the people, reject the judgement and we are going to fight it all through legal and legitimate means. They want to destabilize Ibadanland and we will not allow them.”
The Obas further disclosed that the issue at hand was beyond Ibadanland and the conspiracy against the promoted Ibadan Obas which the judgement could not and should not be allowed against the entire state. The Obas reiterated that their rejection of the verdict would not in any way affect their relationship with the paramount ruler of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji.
They also said they would be waiting for the Olubadan to convey the Olubadan-in-council meeting, saying, “we are not quarrelling with our father, Oba Adetunji, he should let our meetings go on regularly”. It would be recalled that when the promotion was effected, high chief Ladoja filed a suit against Oyo state governor and the judicial commission of inquiry headed by retired Justice Akintunde Boade that reviewed the declaration in 2017.
He posited that the review by former governor Abiola Ajimobi was not proper as he (Ajimobi) lacked the right to review the declaration independent of the Olubadan and his high chiefs
