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Oluwatosin Ejalonibu
A Source at the Olubadan Palace has said that the family of the embattled High Chief of who is next in line to the throne, Lekan Balogun are reportedly pressuring him to drop the crown given to him by former Governor of Oyo State, late Senator Abiola Ajumobi
According to the source, the family reportedly met with him in his house and advised him to drop the case in court and the throne or else they (his family) and history will not forgive him.
The source told PLATFORM TIMES that time is against him as the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957, requires that kingmakers of the kingdom, forward the name of the next king to the state government within 14 days from the death of the last occupier and the deadline in this case is January 16, 2022.
PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that even, if he bows to the family pressure and drop the crown as requested by his family, he might still not get to the throne .
The source further explained that another challenge that poses against his dream is that anyone that will become the Olubadan must be a High Chief in Ibadan, which Balogunhas ceased to be imaftet he received the crown.
The source explained that the next Olubadan will come from the Egbe Agba line as the deceased Olubadan is from the Balogun line.
He further explained that Lekan Balogun is from the Egbe Agba line as he is the highest ranking chief from that line and so should be the next Olubadan.
But since he ( Lekan Balogun) is still an Oba as preserved by court, then, he can’t become the Olubadan as Olubadan- Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957 does not allow a king to become king.
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The source further explained that it will also take a reigning Olubadan to reappoint him as high Chief in Ibadan in which that can’t happen anymore.
The source concluded that it will only take the Supreme Court to decide who the next Olubadan is.
The Source revealed that the Olubadan-in- Council will however be having a private meeting with those Obas that took the Aumobi crown tomorrow (Thursday) at the private home of Lekan Balogun
The Source said that the meeting will be held to duscuss whether the Obas will drop the crowns or go ahead with the court case.
