I will not allow anyone to use the Olubadan stool to cause crises- Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has pledged that he will not allow anyone to cause crisis over filling the vacant Olubadan stool.

Makinde stated this while hosting his deputy, Bayo Lawal, and other Muslim faithful within the government who paid him an Eid-el Fitri homage at his Ikolaba residence on Wednesday in Ibadan.

The nomination of the next Olubadan has been enmeshed in controversy since the death of Oba Lekan Balogun on March 15.

A meeting of the Obas-in-Council, to be presided over by Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, had been fixed for Friday, where the nomination of the Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, is expected to be ratified.

The meeting was scheduled few hours after a peace meeting initiated by some Ibadan elders, with Ladoja promising to withdraw the case instituted in court against the elevation of his fellow high chiefs to obaship status.

The governor, however, warned those whose stock-in-trade was to look at things that will divide the state and its people to look for something else to do.

Rather, he said that they should focus on things that would enhance unity in the state.
Although Makinde said that the Ibadan Obas-in-Council had yet to meet on the nomination of the next Olubadan, he, however, added:

“When they eventually make their nomination, they will come to me and I will either say ‘Yes’ or ‘No”.

He also seized the opportunity to call on the people of the state to come out en masse to vote during the local government election, slated for April 27.

The governor assured the residents of the state that the outcome of the council election would reflect their wishes.

He equally urged Muslims to imbibe the lessons of Ramadan in their respective daily activities.