From DELE OGUNYEMI, Ibadan
Former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja , who is also the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland has broken his silence over the White Paper issued by the State Government on the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration Review saying “the State Government has shown beyond reasonable doubt that he (Ladoja) is the prime target of the review.
This, Ladoja stated in Ibadan yesterday, had manifested in the State Government’s proclamation asking him to either “join in the mockery of obaship and agree to be made a government-appointed oba” or forfeit his right to the throne.
Ladoja, who spoke through his media aide, Alhaji Lanre Latinwo, said he remained the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland and would neither agree to being a government-appointed oba with no domain, chiefs and subjects nor “support attempt at desecrating the Olubadan throne.”
The statement signed by Latinwo read in part: “Thousands of Ajimobi can’t stop Ladoja from becoming the Olubadan if it is the will of God,” advising the governor to stop playing God.
“High Chief Ladoja believes that only God chooses the Olubadan as clearly demonstrated in the divine enthronement of the current Olubadan, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji, who was three steps to the throne.
“May God lengthen the years and reign of Oba Adetunji in sound health. We will like to make it abundantly clear that thousands of Ajimobi can’t stop Ladoja from becoming the Olubadan if it is the will of God.
“People continue to ask the question why the mockery of obaship in Ibadanland is the most important thing to Ajimobi of all the challenges facing his government. It is now clear that Ajimobi has found in this futile exercise, a distraction from his six years of misgovernment in the state.
“Ajimobi is using temporary executive power for ego trip and feels that he is humiliating perceived enemies and also playing God. Why should the governor turn himself into a kingmaker, ignoring the long-established peaceful, self-reforming chieftaincy system of Ibadanland that has become the envy of many cities because it is rancour-free?
“Today, August 29, 2017 makes it exactly 21 months to the expiry of Ajimobi’s governorship. The state will surely be freed from the stranglehold of the Emperor and the office will outlive the officer. Very soon, Ajimobi’s portrait will join those of ex-governors hung on the wall of the Executive Council Chambers. Whatever has a beginning must surely have an end.
“Again, we will like to appeal to the people of Ibadanland to remain calm and peaceful, even in the face of provocation, as this misuse of power, pursuit of vendetta and bastardisation of a rancor-free process will be challenged to the end through constitutional and peaceful means.
“High Chief Ladoja is already in court over the matter and we await a judicial pronouncement on it soon. Ajimobi that set up a panel disregarding Ibadan traditional system, received its report and interpreted its recommendations to suit his selfish agenda against the popular wish of the people of Ibadan and the Olubadan. This is laughable.
“Without recourse to the state House of Assembly which has the constitutional duty to make or amend laws, he has appropriated legislative function and added such to his executive role. This charade can’t obviously pass a judicial challenge.
“We ask him to enjoy the remaining months of his governorship while it lasts,” the statement added, “we wish to remind him that he has booked an unenviable chapter for himself in the annals of the history of Ibadan and posterity will be the judge him.”