Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state made a dangerous statement on Saturday, June 8, 2024.
In his address during a ceremony organized by the state Government to mark the final burial rites of the late Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, the Governor said the new Olubadan designate, Oba Olakuleyin, whose recommendation have been approved, would be installed as soon as ” he is strong enough”!
According to the Governor, ” due process” have been followed in the process of his recommendation except that the old man needs to be ” strong enough” for installation.
For those who expected Makinde to have given a specific date for the installation of a new Olubadan, I’m sure most of them would still be in shock by now.
There is no subtle way to look at it. Governor Seyi Makinde have become a dictator, an Emperor and most of those who are suffering from his dictatorial tendencies now have contributed one way or the other in empowering him to become what he has become.
You have to admit it that some did whatever they did inadvertently and some, deliberately but the actions and inactions of a lot of people have given birth to what we all have to take and deal with as fate today.
Come to think of it, what does Governor Makinde mean by ” when he is strong enough”?
Strong enough to do what?
What manner of strength can a reasonable human being expect from a man in his eighties?
The strength to run around Ibadan as a demonstration of his fitness or the strength to engage in a Boxing bout?
That statement, well couched, though, lacking in finesse, is casual but it is a time bomb.
One that exposes Governor Makinde’s deep belly animosities and dangerous intents about the vacant stool of the Olubadan and one which every right thinking Ibadan sons and daughters must not treat with levity.
There is no doubts that the Governor has a hidden agenda against someone and it is not against Oba Olakuleyin.
Unfortunately, he must get to his target through the old man.
What I seem to find difficult is the fact that human beings tend to be blinded to realities, especially, when they found themselves in positions of authority.
The reality that you can not play God in the affairs of a fellow human being must be lost to Governor Makinde as we speak.
Like I said earlier, Governor Makinde is emboldened in this act of display of playing God because some people have deliberately allowed themselves to be used by him for whatever reasons.
I must however caution them that the man they are dealing with is a master in the art deceit, divide and rule and he will ultimately dump them at any time the need arises.
What was Makinde’s position in respect of the Olubadan Stool before his election as Governor in 2019?
Was he not one with the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja in opposing the late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi who at that time was trying to tamper with the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration?
Did he not get sympathy votes as a result of that position in 2019?
So, what has changed?
Governor Makinde is using the troubled waters he stirred around the revered stool of the Olubadan for personal aggrandizement, for the settling of scores and the earlier those who are still in league with him on this matter realizes this facts, the better.
He has successfully enacted a Law that empowers him to promote certain class of community heads to Obas, he got away with it and how?
With due respect to the Traditional Institutions in Oyo state, they have like the proverbial cock, given the crown on their heads to the fox.
When the Governor was making this Law, most of the Royal Fathers were uncomfortable but what can they do?
After all, we saw a first class Oba in Oyo state who volunteered to be canvassing for votes in favour of Seyi Makinde in the build up to the 2023 general election!
An Oba, going from one Radio station to the other to campaign for a sitting Governor!
As Yorubas would say, ” eni to fun Igbira loti mu, lo ni ko fo Oyinbo”. If you give an Ebira man too much alcohol, you will have to deal with his king of English.
Yorubas would also say, if you tell people that your calabash is broken in pieces, they will help you use it to pack trash.
” Bi onigba ba pe igba re ni pankara, a baa fi ko Ile”.
For whatever reasons, our revered Traditional Fathers have overindulged Governor Seyi Makinde and the result is what we are having now.
In Ogbomosho, he deliberately perpetuate a crisis that may linger for years and instead of him to be humble enough to call the sides and plead for amicable settlement, he was making some empty threats.
I wonder what happened to the promised ” weight of his Government” he threatened to bring on the litigants.
The ancient Oyo Town is not spared his dictatorial tendencies.
According to reports, the Oyomesi have concluded their process of selection and have passed a candidate over to the Governor since 2022 but the Governor would not approve and why?
The Oyomesi, according to the Governor, collected bribes and that is why they arrived at the choice they presented.
I’m fact, Governor Makinde not only threatened the Kingmakers with the EFCC, he actually handed them over to the EFCC and I think, expectedly, nothing came out of the exercises and since the Kingmakers would not yield to the Governor’s demand, whatever the demand is, Oyo will not have an Alaafin!
I have kept wondering how the elites of Oyo Town have left Governor Makinde alone to do whatever pleases him with the stool of the Iku Baba Yeye!
Governor Makinde have been trampling on the Traditional Institutions because of a silence of the Elites.
Whether the silence is a conspiracy or not, I can not say.
When a Monster is unfolding, the best way to tackle it is to take care of it before it gets out of control.
We have allowed politics and greed to do a great damage to our collective sensibilities.
What names did we not give to Ajimobi? Yet, the man never even attempted a quarter of what Governor Makinde have been doing and getting away with.
What exactly is happening to us in Oyo state?
A dictator is unfolding before everyone and yet, everyone is behaving as if all is well.
Alao Akala attempted to tinker, in a lighter way with the Ibadan Chieftaincy Law, he was met by a storm which eventually consumed him.
Ajimobi did not survive the waves that hit him for daring to do the same but here it is happening in a larger scale before everyone and everyone is silent.
Is everyone under a spell? If that is the case, isn’t it time to break the spell?
The handshake by Governor Makinde with regards to the tramplings of the Traditional Institutions is fast going beyond the elbow.
I think it is time the elites of Ibadan put aside politics and differences and unite to save their heritage from dictatorship.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
