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The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has endorsed the appointment of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadan land.
This information is contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
According to the statement, Makinde approved the appointment in a memo signed on June 14, 2024.
The governor is, however, yet to announce the date for the coronation.
Recall that the throne became vacant following the demise of Oba Lekan Balogun on March 14, 2024.
Oba Olakulehin, until his elevation, was the Balogun of Ibadanland and the most senior in rank to ascend the throne.
Recall that there was a crisis over the legal case against the beaded-crown-wearing obas, instituted by the Otun Olubadan, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, at the state High Court, as they held a parallel meeting to the scheduled day.
Ladoja, however, withdrew the suit after a meeting summoned by the Ibadan elders which he attended alongside all the kingmakers and other stakeholders at the house of Chief Bode Amao.
As the controversy over Olakulehin’s health lingered, the monarch made a return to Ibadan and was received by some of the kingmakers.
The statement by the governor generated controversy as notable Ibadan indigenes, including Senator Ladoja, kicked against his stand.
The statement by the government cleared all the controversies surrounding the emergence and enthronement of Olakulehin as Olubadan.
According to a statement by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, the governor’s approval was in accordance with the extant laws of the state regarding ascension to royal thrones.
The governor then congratulated the new Olubadan, praying that his tenure would birth greater developments in Ibadanland and Oyo State as a whole.
