As Ibadan traditional council crisis deepens, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, yesterday said he has no objection to the return of his embattled high chiefs to the palace once they remove their illegal crowns.
Apparently, reacting to the statement credited to the embattled chiefs, the first class monarch stated that he was not responsible in the first instance for their desertion from the palace and by so doing, for abdicating their responsibilities to Ibadanland.
The monarch in a press statement signed by his Personal Assistant/Director of Media and Public Affairs, Adeola Oloko also stated that rather than engage in blame game, the embattled high chiefs who were understandably afraid of what is likely to befall them after May 29 when power would have changed hands should have been bold enough to apologise to the entire people of Ibadanland in particular and the Yoruba people in general for undermining our custom and tradition.
According to him, there is nowhere in Yorubaland where two kings sit inside a palace, adding it is always the king and his chiefs.
“Apart from violating our customs and tradition, there is no law that backs the wearing of illegal crowns in Ibadanland”, he said.
He explained that he had expected the high chiefs to comply with the Oyo State High Court judgment which declared the state government reform that produced the crowns as illegal, null, void and of no effect.
The royal father stated further that when the high chiefs said their efforts to resolve the crisis have been frustrated, what they do not tell the unwary public was that Olubadan should approve through the back door the crowns that the court had out rightly rejected.
Adetunji stated that if the people of Ibadan want the crowns, he would have long ago approve it but all indications show that the overwhelming majority of our people do not approve of it.
He stated categorically that contrary to allegation of the high chiefs, he had done no wrong nor acted illegally at any time there was no stay of execution.
