The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has stepped into the long running leadership crisis surrounding the Onido stool in Ido town, Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, where three individuals are reportedly laying claim to the traditional throne.
The monarch called for calm among all parties involved and announced plans to set up a panel to investigate the dispute, which has persisted for nearly two decades.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, the investigative panel will be inaugurated on Monday, January 12, at the Olubadan Palace in Oke Aremo, Ibadan. The statement did not disclose the composition of the panel.
The intervention follows renewed concerns raised by residents and stakeholders of Ido town, who warned that the unresolved crisis has continued to fuel tension and division within the community.
Speaking to journalists in Ibadan, a community leader, Sarafadeen Adeyeye, appealed to both Governor Seyi Makinde and the Olubadan to urgently address the situation.
He said the town is currently faced with three claimants to the Onido stool, identifying them as Oba Benjamin Ademola Ishola Orobiyi II, Tajudeen Akinola, and Muritala Babalola.
“This situation is unhealthy for any community and has placed Ido in a very delicate position,” Adeyeye said.
Confirming the move, the Olubadan said the panel would begin work immediately after inauguration, with a mandate to examine the remote and immediate causes of the crisis and make recommendations aimed at resolving the matter permanently.
He added that the committee was constituted in line with his authority over chieftaincy affairs in Ibadanland.
