Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde yesterday inaugurated the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as the chairman, Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
He will head the council for the next two years before it will be rotated to another monarch.
The first-class traditional ruler dismissed social media reports that he snubbed the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, at an inter-faith gathering in Ibadan, describing the allegation as a misunderstanding that had been exaggerated and misrepresented.
The Nation reports that the council last met in 2011.
Oba Owoade was absent at the event.
Over 40 monarchs from across the state were at the inauguration held at the House of Chiefs, Oyo State House of Assembly Complex, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
Recall that after years of tussle, the house approved the rotation of the chairmanship of the council between the Alaafin, Olubadan and Soun of Ogbomosho.
Speaking before declaring the council inaugurated, Governor Makinde said he could have exploited the division and crisis in the council by adopting the divide and rule method, but that the absence of a council was not in the best interest of the state.
He added that working with the traditional rulers had been key to his achievements as a governor in the last seven years.
Makinde said: “Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, like the commissioner mentioned, last met like this in 2011. And we’ve been on this for a while. I mean, I’ve been here for close to seven years now. It will be seven years exactly on May 29 that this administration came into office. And the easiest thing for me to do, or for this administration to do, is to encourage a division. You know, when they say divide and rule, this is the easiest thing.
“But we know that some of the things we have been able to achieve as an administration, they can be traced to our traditional institution. They come to me; we discuss what is happening in our communities.
“I get most of the information from you. And then we thought, is it not a shame that for 15 years running now, your state that is supposed to be setting the pace, we don’t have a Council of Obas and Chiefs.
“And some of the things that we’re supposed to do as an administration for our traditional institution as a state, but as the state also, we are supposed to look after our traditional rulers. But if we don’t have a council, how do we play an active role as a state?
“At best, what we have will be an ad hoc arrangement, which is what has been happening since 2011. I’ve been here since 2019. So I encouraged the House of Assembly and also I consulted widely among traditional rulers.
“I mean, if we look at this, this is House of Chiefs. It has not seen any improvement. We only come here for a few events. But our traditional institution must be strengthened. The air conditioner is not working because nobody is in charge. Nobody can. There’s no one telling us, calling the state government on things we should do. We signed the law passed by the House of Assembly. I signed it on August 14, 2025.
“No matter how hard an issue is, we will definitely resolve it. My three fathers, the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan and the Soun had an agreement that they will start the rotation with the Olubadan of Ibadanland. So, on that basis, I hereby pronounce Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs inaugurated, to be chaired by the Olubadan of Ibadanland for two years.”
Fielding questions from reporters, shortly after the inauguration, Oba Ladoja said the inauguration was not an achievement, but the beginning of more work.
He added: “We want to thank everyone. This inauguration is not an achievement; it is the beginning of work.
“After our first meeting, people will begin to have confidence in us because they know we are not in competition with one another. We are not coming here to fight or pursue personal interests. So there is nothing to fear.
“The only thing we stand for is that our domains should be safe and peaceful, and that Oyo State should continue to make progress. We want Oyo State to be a good place for everyone. This is what this council is about. This is not about any individual; it is about bringing people together and working together for the good of all.”
