Olubadan stool: Ladoja endorses Lekan Balogun as next in line

Senator Rashidi Ladoja has endorsed the Otun Olubadan, Senator Lekan Balogun, as the next in line to ascend the throne of Olubadan.

The stool became vacant due to the demise of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, on Sunday.

While receiving visitors at his Bodija residence on Thursday, Ladoja, who is the Osi Olubadan and also a former Governor of Oyo state, expressed his support for Balogun, saying there was no controversy surrounding the next Olubadan.

He also said he did not know anything about the letter written to Governor Seyi Makinde by a former Attorney General of the state, Michael Lana, who asked the governor to withhold the approval for the appointment of Lekan Balogun.

Ten of the 11 members of the Olubadan-in-Council had on Wednesday endorsed Lekan Balogun as the next in line but the absence of Ladoja sparked suspicion that he was not in support of their action

But Ladoja said, “Uninformed people are just causing unnecessary tensions in Ibadan. There is no controversy about who becomes the next Olubadan after the demise of Oba Saliu Adetunji.”

Lana had said that since Lekan Balogun had been elevated to an Oba by the previous Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, it would be an aberration to make him wear the second crown by making him ascend the throne.

He said the governor should withhold his approval until the affected high Chiefs withdraw the case they have in court on their elevation to crown-wearing obas.