Why is it that everywhere Governor Makinde walks, controversies trail?
A coalition of political forces was put in place for him to realize his long time ambition of becoming the Governor of Oyo state.
Immediately he achieved that ambition, he stoked a string of controversies through his failures to fulfill gentlemen agreements reached with the coalition partners and the rest, as they say, is history.
Makinde rose to prominence courtesy of the reason of him being the only Governor on the platform of the PDP in the South West, until Governor Adeleke of Osun state was elected much later.
He used the opportunity bestowed upon him through that privilege to relegate the likes of his benefactors like Fayose, Olafeso and others to the background in the politics of the South West.
Having seized the Leadership of the South West PDP, he, alongside the former Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike and three other colleagues perpetuated a crisis within the PDP and the crisis was largely responsible for the losses recorded during the 2023 general election, particularly, the presidential election.
Despite the fact that he joined others to sabotage his own party, the PDP and thus got rewarded with a second term, he is presently in a cold war with president Tinubu who he claimed he supported for the presidency against the candidate of his own party.
The Governor is at another trouble shooting.
This time around, a war of proxy against a finger that had fed him in the past.
Governor Makinde is instigating a war against the Otun Olubadan, High Chief, H. E, Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja and sadly, he is playing God in the process.
The esteemed stool of the Olubadan is vacant as a result of the demise of late Oba Lekan Balogun.
The Ibadan Chieftaincy Law is clear and simple despite Governor Makinde’s unnecessary but unsuccessful attempts at muddling things up and creating confusion where none existed.
The Governor, who was one with the former Governor Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja to stand against an initial attempts by late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi to tinker with the Law suddenly made a three hundred and sixty degree turn to embrace a step he once stood against.
The bone of contention is the elevation of Ibadan High Chiefs to the status of Obas.
Ladoja, from the time of Ajimobi up until now, stood against an action he considered as an aberration and a fertile ground for confusion.
His grounds: it is against custom for Kingmakers and High Chiefs to be crowned as Kings.
The former Governor is of the opinion that Kings are known according to their domains.
The Kings, as proposed, have no customarily known domains.
He was emphatic that when he became Mogaji, the hope and objectives of his family was for him to be successful in the ascendance and ultimately become the Olubadan of Ibadan Land.
Former Governor Ladoja’s position stands to reason.
The Ibadan ascendancy process is not only unique, it has been the envy of other Youruba towns.
Those who conceived the ideas that is brewing the present controversies are the harbingers of confusion, the ” madarus”.
How on earth do you tinker with a process that is devoid of confusion by introducing self serving reforms that is meant to serve selfish ends?
In Yoruba Land, Ibadan inclusive, Kingmakers do not wear crowns and that is because, a town can not have two heads of equal authority.
The crowns bestowed on the High Chiefs through the disputed review of the Ibadan Chieftaincy Law is an affront on the authority of the Olubadan, no matter how you look at it.
How does a single individual answer to being a Chief and a King at the same time?
When this Obas cum High Chiefs appear before the Olubadan, how will they pay homage?
By prostrating, as it ought to be, or by shaking him as equals because one of the implications of wearing a crown in Yoruba Land is that the one who wears it can not prostrate to pay homage to another?
Those who took the crowns have tried to defend their actions by pointing to towns like Abeokuta and others.
A good student of history will know that the history of how Abeokuta and the other towns referred to is different from that of Ibadan.
Abeokuta for example have their history rooted in the movement of the sectors from Ibadan under different Leaders due to the war with Oyo empire.
While Sodeke led some Groups, others led other Groups at different times.
Ibadan have always been what it is from time.
The system have evolved around a big Republican single entity with many captured settlement but the power at the centre is residual in the Olubadan, no controversies.
We now have a situation where Chiefs, lower in ranks are challenging the authority of the most senior amongst them in the performance of a duty bestowed on him by Law and custom.
Why?
The junior Chiefs have taken crowns and become ” Kings” and thereby, considered themselves ” superior to a High Chief”!
” Ladoja has a higher rank but we the Kings have a higher position”, those were ” Oba Hamidu Ajibade’s exact words in an interview he granted an online Television station.
High Chief Hamidu Ajibade, also known as”Oba Hamidu Ajibade doubles as the Ekerin Olubadan courtesy of the reviewed Ibadan Chieftaincy Law by Governor Makinde.
He was giving reasons for the refusal of the High Chiefs cum Obas to honor the invitation of H.E, High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja for a meeting in respect of the vacant Olubadan Stool.
I do not intend to go to the nitty gritty of the controversies as stoked by Governor Makinde.
I only wish to admonish those who are pecking on the powers of the Governor to review their actions.
The tenure of the Governor of a state is specified.
Definitely, Governor Makinde’s tenure will expire and another Governor will be elected.
Ibadan is unique for Its process of closing their Kings mainly because the founding fathers evolved a system that clearly eliminated the influence of extraneous forces.
What have been eliminated in decades of the existence of Ibadan Land is what Governor Makinde is attempting to bring back through the ” crowns”.
Governor Makinde have a clever way of making others to fight his battles.
He employs this tactics so that if he loses, as he is sure to do in this circumstance, he would have no problem putting the blame on those who carry the fight on their heads.
History is simply a record of our day to day activities.
Those who evolved the system that have endured for decades have their records in history, likewise, those who are intent on destroying the system will also have their places on the pages of history.
