| President Goodluck Jonathan |
Few days ago, President Jonathan made a surprise visit to monarchs in APC states. This visit, most especially his visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi did not go down well with a leading Yoruba monarch, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Samuel Olugade, who has now issued a strongly-worded statement, describing the trip as an affront and a ridicule of the Ibadan chieftaincy institution.
President Jonathan had on February 15 embarked on a royalty shuttle to Kano, Oyo, Ile-Ife and Lagos during which he visited the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero; the Alafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi III; the Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuade; and the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu.
The reasons for the visits are unclear. But there are speculations that they were part of the president’s political consultations ahead of the forthcoming National Conference and the 2015 presidential election.
During his visit to Oyo state, the presidential plane carrying Mr. Jonathan landed in Ibadan airport before he took a chopper to Ife in Osun State to visit the Ooni of Ife, and then to Oyo town, to visit the Alaafin of Oyo.
That the president passed through Ibadan without stopping by his palace has now irked the Ibadan monarch.
Mr. Olugade on Wednesday expressed anger that after landing in Ibadan, Mr. Jonathan disregarded him, the current Chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, and proceeded to visit Mr. Adeyemi.
In a statement, the secretary of the Olubadan-in-council, Kamoru Liasu, described the President’s itinerary that day as an ‘affront.’
He accused the President and the State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who accompanied him on the visit, of committing an act capable of jeopardizing the peace of the state and bringing the Ibadan chieftaincy institution into disrepute.
The Olubadan described the visit as selective and said he and other members of his council waited for the President without realizing the latter was going to breach protocol by ignoring the Ibadan monarch.
He said rather than visit him first; the president went straight to the state governor, who went with him to the Alaafin’s palace in Oyo.
The Olubadan said the actions indicate that Governor Ajimobi still recognises the Alaafin of Oyo as the permanent chairman of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs, contrary to the state’s existing chieftaincy law, as amended in 2011, where it is stated that the chairmanship position should be rotated between the Alaafin, the Olubadan, and Soun of Ogbomosoland every two years.
The Ibadan monarch appealed to Messrs Jonathan and Ajimobi to desist from carrying out misleading acts capable of jeopardizing the peace of the state and bringing the Ibadan chieftaincy institution into disrepute.
via 247naijagossip
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