Chieftaincy crisis: Ajimobi ‘repents’, meets Ibadan elders, recognises Balogun, Ladoja, others

Like a sinner asking for penitence, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, tactically, on Tuesday, ‘repented’ and called for a peace meeting with Ibadan elders.
The meeting was arranged to ask for forgiveness for dabbling into succession matters of Ibadan high chiefs.
At the end of the meeting held at the residence of the Chairman of Ibadan Elders’ Forum, Ambassador Olusola Saanu, in Ibadan, Ajimobi told the gathering to forget his administration’s overzealousness on the matter.
He also backed down on his threat to sanction the nine Ibadan elevated High Chiefs.
In fact, he recognised them.
It is generally believed that Ajimobi moved against the promotion because of Chiefs Lekan Balogun and Rashidi Ladoja, a former governor of the state, who, he believes, are his political detractors.
Ladoja, who was out of the state, was not at the meeting but Balogun was present.
Ajimobi did everything to apologise to Balogun “to forgive and forget”.
Ajimobi had, on Monday evening, disagreed with the Olubadan-in-Council for conducting the elevation exercise without presenting the High Chiefs’ medical certificates of fitness, and so threatened to sanction the nine of them for their failure to comply with his directive to follow due process.
The governor ordered compliance to revert to their previous positions within 48 hours or face sanctions.
Among the High Chiefs elevated by the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Samuel Odulana, were Balogun and Ladoja.
At the end of the meeting attended by Saanu, Balogun, ‎Dr. Lekan Are, High Chief Adebayo Akande, High Chief Ashipa Olubadan, Chief Eddy Oyewole, Olubadan’s son, Prof Femi Lana, among others, the governor said the matter had been resolved and that the elevated High Chiefs could retain their present status while the papers would be perfected to reflect due process.
“We should thank God for the elders. Our elders are committed to peace in Ibadan land and our king has shown that he is a good monarch. He contributed to my success as governor. In this case, brothers are fighting and elders have intervened. There is no cause for further misunderstanding. We will perfect the papers because the issue has been resolved by men of impeccable character. Due process will now take place. Sometimes, we get married before perfecting marriage ceremony,” said the governor.