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Cabinet members disown Olubadan over imposition, illegal stripping of Iyaloja

By Sam Oluwalana, Ibadan
16 May 2017   |   4:30 am
Embattled Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, has been disowned by some ranking members of his traditional cabinet, known as the Olubadan-in-Council over alleged imposition...

Oba Saliu Adetunji,

Embattled Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, has been disowned by some ranking members of his traditional cabinet, known as the Olubadan-in-Council over alleged imposition and stripping of an high chief and illegal creation of a new chieftaincy title.

The high chiefs accused the monarch of unilaterally installing a new Iyaloja of Ibadanland as well creating a new title of Mayegun of Ibadanland, which they said is alien to the traditional history of the city.

Trouble started for Oba Adetunji when he surprisingly removed the reigning Iyaloja, Chief Labake Lawal, and swiftly appointed one Alhaja Iswat Abiola Ameringun as her replacement, in a move that has been generating ripples, leading to confusion among the market men and women with the two chiefs laying claim to the same title.

To douse the confusion that trailed the action of the monarch, his media aide, Mr. Adeola Oloko, in a press release on behalf of the Oba, averred that the decision to appoint a new Iyaloja was a collective one by the monarch in concert with his cabinet members.

However, the two most senior members of the Olubadan-in-Council, High Chiefs Lekan Balogun and Owolabi Olakulehin, Otun Olubadan and Balogun of Ibadanland, in a press statement they released on Monday in Ibadan, described the claim as completely false and misleading.

The aptly worded statement, stated that the appointment of the new Iyaloja was unilaterally done without any recourse to the traditional council, who it claims is not aware of the development.

On the honorary title of Mayegun of Ibadanland, which was last Friday bestowed on the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in the state, Chief Olayiwola Olakojo, the members equally disclosed that the Olubadan-in-Council did not know the source and were not part of the decision to give out the title to the recipient.

The council members explained further in the release that their attendance at the function was to honour an invitation to meet with the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was said to be coming to the Olubadan’s palace on the day.

“We received invitation to the event and that Obasanjo was also coming to the palace. We were there to honour his eminence.”

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