Governor Seyi Makinde is now being awaited to ratify the nomination of High Chief Lekan Balogun, the Otun Olubadan, as the new Olubadan of Ibadanland.
This is following the dismissal of the court case stalling Balogun’s installation as the new Olubadan after the passage of Oba Saliu Adetunji.
The kingmakers met on Thursday for Balogun’s nomination as the next Olubadan.
It would be recalled that the kingmakers, excluding the Osi Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, met earlier to nominate Balogun, but Governor Makinde, whose assent would validate the nomination withheld it because of the court case.
The court case, it would be recalled, was instituted by the High Chiefs to challenge the consent judgment which barred them from wearing the beaded crown granted them through their promotion to obaship position by former Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
At the meeting held at the Alalubosa private residence of Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Owolabi Olakulehin, the Osi Olubadan was in attendance.
Speaking with our reporter after the meeting, which also had in attendance the Director of Administration and General Services, Ibadan South-East Local Government, Alhaja Tawa Adedotun, the Otun Balogun, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola, said all the kingmakers were unanimous in the choice of Balogun as the next Olubadan.
He stated that the meeting provided an opportunity for the kingmakers to settle their differences, saying, “the meeting went very well and we were all happy.
“The only person amongst us that missed out of the very important meeting was the Iyalode of Ibadanland, High Chief Theresa Oladuntan Oyekanmi, but, she sent in her letter of nomination which conformed with our unanimous decision on Dr. Balogun.
“We all signed the nomination of Otun Olubadan as the rightful successor to the Olubadan throne that became vacant on 2nd January, 2022 and the meeting was also used to settle whatever might have been the differences between us.
“We are very happy at the development as we can now all move forward on the same page without any form of acrimony. As said after our court session on Tuesday that we had done the wish of the governor, we are now pushing to him our own wish which we are expecting him to grant,” Ajibola added.
Those at the meeting were Balogun (Otun Olubadan); Balogun of Ibadanland, Owolabi Olakulehin; Osi-Olubadan, Rashidi Ladoja; Otun-Balogun, Tajudeen Ajibola; Ashipa Olubadan, Eddy Oyewole; and Osi-Balogun, Lateef Adebimpe.
Others were Ekerin Olubadan, Biodun Kola-Daisi; Ashipa Balogun, Kola Adegbola; and Ekerin Balogun, Olubunmi Isioye.
