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By Oluseye Ojo
The Oyo State House of Assembly has received the backing of Ibadan Indigenes for the passage of a bill proposing to make the chairmanship of Oyo State Council of Obas rotational.
The Oyo State Chieftaincy Law (Further Amendment) 2025 was passed on Tuesday by the lawmakers for the third reading. A total of 30 out of the 32 member-legislature supported the bill while two walked out of the plenary to protest their objection to the passage of the bill.
President-General, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Ajeniyi Ajewole, during a media parley yesterday at Ibadan House, Oke-Aremo, said the 10th Oyo State House of Assembly had done the right thing with the bill on Tuesday.
The parliament had, last week, attempted the amendment that would make Alaafin the permanent chairman of the council in concurrent with Olubadan and Soun. Then, Alaafin was proposed to preside over every meeting of the council, while Olubadan would preside over the meeting in the absence of Alaafin. The Soun was proposed to preside in the absence of both Alaafin and Olubadan.
The proposed amendment generated heated arguments, which probably made the House of Assembly to rescind the initial move to make Alaafin the permanent chairman of the council, and settle for rotational chairmanship, which the administration of former governor of the state, the late Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, did in 2011.
The Oyo State Chieftaincy Law 2000 had made Alaafin the permanent chairman of the council before the 2011 amendment. But, the former Alaafin, who challenged the amended law in the court in his name, died over three years ago. As gathered, the state did not have a council of obas in place for the past 14 years.
According to Ajewole, “The position taken by the 10th Oyo State House of Assembly is one of justice and equity. We are not so surprised that at the end of the day, the House of Assembly did the right thing by passing the bill that will reduce the chairmanship of Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs to three obas in the state, that is the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Soun of Ogbomosoland, and Alaafin of Oyo.”
Ajewole, who used the occasion to renew his call for the creation of Ibadan State, thanked the lawmakers “for doing the right thing by making the chairmanship of the council rotational among Olubadan, Soun and Alaafin.”
He described the portion as a way to move the state forward. He also appreciated the Speaker for leading the lawmakers to do the right thing, as well as Governor Seyi Makinde for allowing the assembly to do its work without interference.
“Ibadan comprises 65 towns, 1,456 villages and one people. Ibadan is not just a town; it is a megapolis.
“The stool of Olubadan has been tested for years and earned the respect from many quarters, including the one of colonial masters.”
Ajewole appealed to stakeholders to embrace peace and allow the council to move forward.
