By: Lt, Col. Philip Ogundele (RTD)
The current Olubadan, Former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja’s long-standing grievance against Alaafin and the Oyo throne appears rooted in the impeachment he suffered during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, an action widely believed to have occurred with the support of the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III.
The Yoruba are a cultured people, firmly grounded in traditions of integrity, forthrightness, and good character—Omoluabi. We respect established customs, and these values define who we are. They distinguish us from strangers and sojourners who do not share or understand our heritage.
If academics now insist that these traditions are archaic and that ancient landmarks should be abandoned, then society must be prepared for the consequences. In that case, we should also tell the children whose minds are being influenced by certain academic narratives that there is no concept of “Sir” or “Ma” in Yoruba tradition. Such a cultural shift would not take more than a generation. What is truly offensive, however, is the double standard in which respect is reserved for a particular class, while the same academics seek to preserve it for themselves. In doing so, some may destroy the reputations they have spent years building.
Across the world, from ancient times to the present, tradition demands respect for the stool, regardless of the age of the monarch who occupies it. Such respect is not merely for the individual king, but for the land and the people, whose elders embody wisdom and experience.
Unfortunately, political gangsterism—an unfortunate feature of politics at various times—has driven some individuals to abandon decorum in moments of sentiment. In such moments, they fail to consider the psychological impact on the people, revealing a troubling disregard for tradition and collective identity.
To suggest that it is outdated to regard the stool of the Alaafin of Oyo as superior is to discard tradition merely to win an argument or advance questionable motives. This represents a deliberate abandonment of historical continuity.
Colonial records and gazettes of the British administration consistently recognized the Alaafin of Oyo as the supreme authority over the Yoruba obaship. It was from him that colonial authorities obtained land upon which they established their administration. No Oba or Baalẹ raised objections to this arrangement. The Alaafin remained the principal authority consulted on traditional matters.
Indeed, the traditional provinces of the old Oyo Empire were mapped and replicated in the creation of provinces within the Southern Protectorate. These same structures later informed the boundaries of today’s states and local governments.
The present crisis is largely fueled by biased political narrators—often descendants of Oyo subjects—who lack access to factual records yet speak authoritatively.
For Ọba Ladoja to argue that traditional institutions are no longer relevant in modern times, having been overtaken by authority created by an artificial constitution, is to diminish his own worth as a monarch. Ibadan was once a Baalẹdom until the Alaafin of Oyo elevated it to the status of an Oba, creating the Olubadan institution.
Having previously suffered impeachment as governor under the influence of the Alaafin, Ladoja appears to have bottled that grievance and redirected it toward the ancestral throne, as though it were a personal matter. Unless the throne has lost its sacred qualities—something history does not support—such actions may rebound.
Some dissenting voices now argue that a king should not carry his royal status and honour beyond his immediate jurisdiction. That such claims come from Yoruba voices is deeply troubling. It suggests an attempt to discard the very meaning of Kabiyesi. If today’s youth adopt this thinking and are later criticised for abandoning tradition, who will defend them then?
As the saying goes, the bird will always come home to roost.
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