A former Oyo State governor and Osi Olubadan of Ibadan, Rashidi Ladoja, has backed the choice of Senator Lekan Balogun as the next Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Ladoja, 77, is the third in command in the Olubadan-in-Council.
Kingmakers in the city had insisted that no court case would stop the appointment and installation of the next Olubadan.
Speaking on Thursday over the issue, Ladoja said, “Uninformed people are just causing unnecessary tension in Ibadan.
“There is no controversy about who becomes the next Olubadan after the demise of Oba Saliu Adetunji Aje Ogunguniso 1.”
Ten members of the Olubadan-in-Council had endorsed the nomination of Dr Balogun as the next Olubadan of Ibadanland, but Ladoja was absent.
Otun Balogun of Olubadan, Tajudeen Ajibola, who spoke on behalf of the kingmakers, said, “The case doesn’t have anything to do with kingmakers. The law is there. We are the kingmakers. I want to say that we are 12 in Olubadan-in-Council. Ten of us have endorsed Lekan Balogun; Iyalode is also part of us. We endorse the most superior.
“There is no law without exception. The exception is that we can appoint anyone from Ekerin Olubadan if the Otun Olubadan (most superior) has a questionable character. We have not seen anything that he has done wrong. We have endorsed him and nobody or court case can stop him.
“Saying that there is a judgment is an attempt to disrupt the process. We have concluded hearing in the case three months ago; it is left for the judge to deliver judgment.
“We don’t have any case in court on his appointment. Court case can’t stop him (Lekan Balogun) from being appointed.”
