HIS Excellency, Senator Abiola Adeyemi Ajimobi, the
Governor, and by the Grace of The Almighty, the “Constituted Authority” of Oyo
State, changed the 197-year history of the monarchy in Ibadan by minting 21
additional Kings where only one had existed...
The projection of this reformist
is that his chieftaincy factory will produce a total of 33 new kings in Ibadan
alone. His raw materials are the 11 High Chiefs in the Olubadan-in-Council, 13
local chiefs or ‘Baales’ and 9 other local chiefs who are yet to be appointed.
There can arise the criticism that a King needs a palace, domain and subjects
which some of the new Kings may not have. But in the digital age, this is not
necessary; didn’t the English say a man’s home is his castle? Wherever a King
lives, even if it be rented apartment, is his palace. It is not the palace,
domain or crown that makes a King, but the authority that appoints him. In
pre-colonial times, Kings in Yorubaland where Ibadan is situated, used to be
quite powerful. In fact, they were regarded as Deputies to the gods and
therefore, their representatives on earth. So, their word was law. A Yoruba
proverb says if the King summons you and you say you are in the midst of
divination; supposing the divination says everything will be okay, but the King
decides otherwise? In other words, the god of divination can proclaim long life
for you, but the King can decree your immediate execution. So it was wiser to
displease the gods rather than the King. So revered was a king in Yorubaland
that even if defeated in war, the conqueror was obliged to grant him all
privileges and respect. The high point of the demystification of kingship was
when some Kings had a problem with the new political authorities who in order
to humiliate them, placed them on a one Penny (Kobo) stipend, hence they became
known as ‘Oba Kobo’ ( One Penny King) Ajimobi has rewritten the saying that
just as two rams cannot drink from the same bucket, so can you not have two
kings in one palace or kingdom; now, there are 22 kings in Ibadanland. I miss
the populist politician, Lamidi Ariyibi Akanji Adedibu, who while just a chief
in Ibadanland, saw himself as a king and referred to himself as ‘Alafin
Molete’. He passed away nine years ago; were he still alive, he might have
realised his ambition of being elevated to a king in the land. Ibadan was a
military camp before transforming to the sprawling city of four million people.
It was part of its old military tradition, that even if you are caught stealing
but could get the better of the owner, the stolen item can become your
legitimate property. So the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, hitherto the only
King in Ibadanland has to gird his loins, as his being declared the ‘Paramount
Ruler’ can be taken from him. War, was said to be the disease of Ibadanland and
deception regarded as an art; it is said that when the Ibadan man is preaching
peace, he is already at war. The Olubadan group seems to have forgotten this
fundamental principle when it hoped to go to court to stop the coronation of
the new kings. All the State Government did was to carry out a preemptive
strike and present a fait accompli. It began the process of writing and
appointing the new kings after work hours on Friday August 25 after the courts
had closed, and coronate them on Sunday August 27, before the courts reopened
the following day. Former Governor of the State, Rasheed Ladoja who was the
only High Chief to reject being made a king against the prevailing tradition in
Ibadanland, characterised the appointments and coronation as a Nollywood drama.
He should know as Executive Producer of SAWOROIDE, one of the best films ever
produced in the country. Except that this is a true story and not the normal
fiction in Nollywood. The Ajimobi Obas (Oba Ajimobi) should know that while the
hawk has good eyesight to spot and swoop on the chick on ground, it cannot be
compared with the eagle; that they are low class kings who aspire to be
promoted to the Olubadan of Ibadanland. They know that they cannot compare
themselves with past traditional rulers in Ibadanland like Oluyedun, Oluyole,
Ibikunle, Ogunmola or Aare Obatoke Latosa. That they cannot even be compared
with the more contemporary Obas; Daniel Akinbiyi, Yesufu Oloyede Asanike or
Samuel Odulana Olugbade I. I love Governor Ajimobi, I like his courage and his
democratisation of the traditional institution: the more kings, the merrier. We
will need to recommend this to Great Britain, so apart from Queen Elizabeth II
who continues to hold on to the throne, other kings like Princes Charles, William,
Harry and George, can be crowned kings, or women like Camilla Parker Bowles and
Fergie, Prince Andrew’s wife, can be Queens. In fact, if Ibadanland can have 33
new kings, England deserves thrice that number. Ajimobi has already shown
himself a typical Ibadan warrior before he head-butted the bee nest of the
Ibadan monarchy. Traditionally, the Governor of Oyo State with Ibadan as
capital, has always spent one term or less in office, but Ajimobi broke the
jinx by bagging a second term. When he repeatedly told students protesting
against the 8-month closure of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,
LAUTECH, that he is the “Constituted Authority” in the state, not many believed
him. But with his taking on the powerful Ibadan monarchy and genetically producing
33 brand new kings literarily from his ribs, there can be no doubt who the
constituted authority is in the state. The only problems I envisage are the
effects on a fractured populace and the reality that in 2019, another
constituted authority, possibly, Ladoja or his ally, would be in power, and
another round of matches with the monarchy as the ball, will begin. Personally,
I find Abuja boring. I am thinking of going on holidays in Ibadan; if I have
the good fortune of meeting Governor Ajimobi and persuade him that I wrote this
piece in his honour and as an ode to his fantastic legacy in office, I might be
rewarded with a beaded crown before I return home.
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