Ahead the 2027 presidential election, a legal counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, jailed IPOB leader says Igbo in Nigeria are not happy with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They will punish the incumbent during the next presidential election to express their feelings over Kanu’s conviction, Aloy Ejimakor, one of the lawyers to the IPOB leader said.
According to Ejimakor, many people from the south east are of the country are furious with the Tinubu’s administration over the conviction of the IPOB strongman.
Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment last November by Justice James Omotosho of a federal high court in Abuja, on terrorism and treason related charges.
Following his conviction, not a few people from the zone have been calling on the federal government to pardon him. Others also insist that Kanu was wrongly convicted.
The magazine had earlier reported that the IPOB leader disclosed that he would appeal his conviction at a higher court.
Speaking on how the people of the zone felt on the issue, Ejimakor said his people are waiting for the next presidential election to show that they are not happy with Kanu’s imprisonment by the federal government .
In a post he shared on his verified X handle, the lawyer urged the Tinubu’s administration to rectify the conviction before it’s too late, saying the resentment for the administration among Igbo is very high. .
Ejimakor: “I travelled around the entire South-East during this Christmas and New Year period and noticed that Ndigbo are very unhappy about the conviction of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“If it is not rectified urgently, they will surely make their feelings known in the 2027 elections. Even Google confirms it.”
“Wike has abused President Tinubu enough, treated him like a child, whatever was the dark deal in 2023, and his fear about 2027”
On Saturday night, January 17, 2026, as the Presidential jet taxied down the Abuja runway, a heavy cloud of psychological tension finally began to lift.
For 20 days, the President had been away, and for 17 of those days, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike hijacked the national psyche. While the capital city sat in a security vacuum, the Minister used his media machinery to treat the Presidency, the APC, and the Rivers State Government like his private Village classroom. But as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stepped onto the tarmac, greeted by his NSA, the IGP, and the Chief of Staff while the Minister was pointedly absent, the message was tearfully clear, the indirect Presidency is over.
And Nigerians know something else, as the Minister of Abuja, the host of the nation’s capital, he is usually there to receive the President. That is the public ritual of leadership. That is the symbolism of office. That is part of his identity as the custodian of the Federal Capital Territory. So when he was absent, Nigerians did not see coincidence. Nigerians saw separation. Nigerians saw distance. Nigerians saw a quiet refusal, or a quiet instruction, as if those closest to the President did not want him there. As if the abuse had become too much.
It looked like a quiet rejection of the all powerful man who has been treating Tinubu like a child, as if the President must always be reminded of who helped him, who made him, and who must be feared. It looked like the Presidency saying without drama that the era of psychological bullying has reached its limit. Some rejections do not need microphones.
Professor Egbeazien Oshodi
They only need positioning. They only need power returning to the center. And in that moment, with the NSA, the IGP, and the Chief of Staff standing as the visible gatekeepers of authority, Wike’s absence became a sentence without words, enough is enough.
And perhaps that absence carried another message too, the kind of message that reveals a deeper sickness of entitlement. It was as if the Minister was saying, if you can be out for 20 days, I too can be out. If the President can travel and be away, then I too can disappear from Abuja and still remain powerful. If the country can survive without you physically present, then I too can abandon my duty post and still dominate the national atmosphere.
Whether he got excused or not, whether he was permitted or not, whether he was invited or not, the symbolism remains painful, because Abuja is not a private playground. Abuja is not a local stage. Abuja is the capital, and the Minister of the capital does not get to perform absence as a form of ego.
For 17 days, Nigerians watched a disturbing national distortion where one Minister behaved like the constant narrator of government, the loudest voice in the room, the man who had the privilege of dominating the airwaves while the actual President was physically absent. It was like a prolonged political captivity, a 17 day media lockdown where every headline, every performance, every planted message, and every calculated insult carried the same underlying message, I am the one in control here.
This is what made it painful. This is what made it humiliating. This is what made it feel dangerous for the national psyche. The Minister did not just speak. He performed power. He staged control. He displayed ownership of political space the way an emperor parades territory. He treated the Federal Cabinet like an audience that must endure his dominance. He treated the APC like a household that must accept his threats as normal. He treated the Rivers State Government like a toy that must not move without his permission. And he treated the nation like a captive audience that must listen, watch, absorb, and submit.
That is why the Kingmaker story became unbearable. Because it was no longer political memory. It became psychological terrorism. It became a daily reminder that a Minister could behave like the owner of a sitting Governor, the controller of party leadership, and the distributor of insults without consequence. It became a daily lesson in intimidation, where power was not exercised with dignity but with mockery, with threats, with emotional blackmail, and with the loud confidence of a man who believes he is untouchable. It was not just a conflict. It was a siege. It was a carefully sustained siege of national attention, designed to produce one outcome, submission.
THE 17 DAY MEDIA CAPTIVITY: A NATION TRAPPED INSIDE ONE MAN’S EGO
The tragedy of this moment is not only what was said or done, but what Nigerians were forced to sit through. For 17 days, one Minister turned national attention into a hostage room. He kept the country trapped in his daily media appearances, his local dominance rituals, his public threats, and his emotional warfare. He acted like the cabinet must wait for him, like the party must fear him, and like the Governor must be broken publicly before loyalty can be declared complete. This was not governance. This was psychological captivity dressed as politics. It was domination culture, the kind that survives only by exhausting the dignity of others until they surrender.
A MINISTER WHO REFUSED TO BE A SERVANT: WHATEVER WAS THE DARK DEAL OF 2023 AND THE FEAR OF 2027
A Federal Minister is not a local warlord. A Federal Minister is not a personal empire. A Federal Minister is meant to support a national leader, not compete with him. Yet what Nigerians watched was a Minister who behaved like power itself belonged to him. His words carried ownership. His tone carried entitlement. His public posture carried the arrogance of a man who believes the President’s seat is incomplete without his approval.
That is why Nigerians began to ask the painful question. What exactly happened in 2023. What was the arrangement. What was the private understanding. What was the dark deal. Because when one Minister acts as if he can bully a President through media noise, then the nation knows there is a debt somewhere. There is a fear somewhere. There is a bargain somewhere. There is an unspoken contract somewhere.
And when Nigerians mention 2027, they are not guessing for entertainment. They are reading the psychology of political survival. They are reading the fear of succession.
They are reading the anxiety of ambition. They are reading the uncertainty of loyalty. They are reading the possibility that the same loud man preparing the ground in Rivers is also preparing the ground for national bargaining power, using intimidation as leverage, using media dominance as blackmail, and using party tension as a weapon.
Not even any official statement from the Presidency was offered to explain why this Minister remained in Rivers for 17 days, as if Rivers belongs to him. And who truly knows why the Presidency was silent. Who knows what calculations were being made behind closed doors. Who knows what debts were being managed quietly. Who knows what invisible pressures were at play. In Nigeria, silence is rarely empty. Silence can be protection. Silence can be fear. Silence can be negotiation. Silence can be the sound of a nation watching one man behave as though discipline does not apply to him.
And who knows what holds people psychologically in place. Who knows who he gifts. Who knows who he rewards. Who knows who benefits from Abuja land allocations, from access, from contracts, from private privileges that do not come with public explanations but come with quiet loyalty. Abuja land is not just land. Abuja land is power. Abuja land is profit. Abuja land is silence. It is a chain that can hold even strong people down, because once a person has benefited, fear of losing that benefit becomes the new discipline. Who knows who was given land, who was promised land, who was protected with land, and who was made to fear exposure. This is how political captivity is built, not only through threats, but through rewards that turn institutions into obedient spectators.
GO HOME AND STAY WITH YOUR WIFE: A PSYCHOLOGICAL DAGGER TO THE HOME
The most agonizing moment of this siege came through the mouth of the Minister’s aide, Lere Olayinka, acting as the voice of his master. In an act of pure psychological emasculation, he publicly mocked Governor Siminalayi Fubara, telling the leader of millions:
“If you can’t play politics, go home and stay with your wife.”
To suggest that a Governor, a man of stature, a husband, and a father, belongs in the bedroom rather than the Government House is an insult to every Nigerian household. It reveals a toxic God Complex where the Minister believes that because he made the Governor, he now owns the man’s dignity and his family’s peace. Wike, why not just leave the Governor and his family alone. Is the hunger for control so great that you must humiliate a man’s wife to feel powerful.
This was not ordinary political insult. It was a psychological dagger aimed at the home, the place where a man’s identity should be protected, not weaponized. It was the language of domination, not correction. It was humiliation meant to crush spirit, not resolve conflict. And it is dangerous because once a Governor is reduced publicly to a man who should go home and stay with his wife, then leadership itself becomes something that can be mocked, stripped, and broken in the public square.
THE ABUSE OF THE CABINET AND THE NSA: THEY COME TO COLLECT
The Minister’s disrespect did not stop at the Governor, it climbed the very ladder of the Federal Government. When the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, visited Rivers to deliver a message of Presidential support for Fubara, Wike did not show respect, he showed contempt. He mocked the President’s highest security officer, suggesting the visit was a mere financial transaction:
“Everybody who comes to Rivers State today must say, ‘the President is happy with you,’ and they collect… for you to be able to suck part of that money, you must say ‘Wike’s time is over’.”
By accusing the NSA of being a money sucker who sells the President’s happiness for money, Wike has devalued the office of the President. He has made the Commander in Chief look like a man whose endorsements are for sale. He has dragged the Presidency into the marketplace of suspicion with one reckless statement. That is not political rivalry. That is institutional humiliation. That is a Minister treating the President’s authority like a product that can be bought and sold.
This is what it means to treat Tinubu like a child, to speak as if the President’s representatives can be insulted publicly without consequence, to behave as if the Presidency must absorb disrespect like a parent tolerating a stubborn child who refuses correction.
BULLYING THE PARTY: IF YOUR HAND BURNS, NO BE ME BURN AM O
The Minister’s psychological war extended to the President’s own party machinery. He issued a chilling, thuggish warning to the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, telling him to stay out of Rivers State:
“I say it here, take this message to your National Secretary: leave Rivers State alone… If your hand burns, no be me burn am o.”
To threaten the high leadership of the President’s own party with burnt hands is the height of insubordination. It is the posture of a man who believes Rivers State is his private kingdom and party authority must take instructions from him. He has abused the cabinet and the party enough. He has made the President look powerless in his own house for too long.
ABUJA WEEPS: A LADY DIED, A LAWYER DIED, AND THE CAPITAL BLED WHILE HE PERFORMED
While the Minister was 600 kilometers away playing Emperor and mocking his colleagues, the city he was sworn to protect was bleeding. The tragic death of Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo, a lady, a brilliant lawyer, killed by one chance criminals on the Kubwa Expressway, is the blood on the hands of this neglect.
Yes he might not be the police, but as the Chief Security Officer of the FCT, his first duty was to the safety of Abuja. Leadership is not only about carrying a rifle. Leadership is about coordination, urgency, seriousness, and the visible protection of human life. Instead, he was busy with 7 minute Executive Council performances for the cameras, treating Rivers like theater and Abuja like an afterthought.
Abuja is not a stage. Abuja is not a camera set. Abuja is a living city of families, workers, students, lawyers, traders, civil servants, and ordinary Nigerians trying to survive each day without becoming the next headline of horror. Yet while Abuja wept, the Minister performed. While the capital mourned, he danced. While citizens feared the roads, he amplified his political war. It is impossible to separate this negligence from the psychology of power addiction, because a man intoxicated by dominance eventually abandons responsibility, and what is left behind is grief, blood, and helplessness.
CONCLUSION: A PLEA FOR PEACE AND RESIGNATION
Minister Wike, you have said it yourself: “If my appointor believes that I cannot offer anything again, he has the right to sack me.” But a man of honor does not wait for a sack letter after he has insulted his boss, bullied his colleagues, threatened party leadership, mocked the families of his peers, and treated the national psyche like a hostage room.
You have abused the President enough. You have humiliated the Governor enough. Why not just resign and leave the President alone to lead in peace.
Welcome back, Mr. President. The tarmac has spoken. The golden handcuffs are off, the media siege is broken, and the throne of Nigeria is finally, unequivocally, yours alone.
Oshodi is a Professor of Clinical/Forensic Psychology
A Professor of Clinical/Forensic Psychology, Egbeazien Oshodi, has drawn the attention of President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians to the degradation of the person and office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.
In a long a write-up titled Wike, Why Not Just Resign And Leave The President Alone?, the Professor reeled out how much Wike has, allegedly, insulted the leadership of the ruling Party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Federal Cabinet, and even stolen the thunder from President Bola Tinubu. He insisted that Wike has disrespected the President in more ways than one.
He cited, for example the comment on the NSA by Wike. Recall that Ribadu, in company with other to officials of the Federal Government, had visited Rivers in connection with the Ogoni issue and, as required by protocol, paid a courtesy call on Governor Siminalayi Fubara at Government House.
While there, he told the Governor that the President was happy with him. That message to Fubara through the NSA, obviously, did not go down well with Wike.
Nyesom Wike
Wike showed it a couple of days later when on a trip to Port Harcourt, he made a statement that gave the impression that the NSA said that for financial gains. In local parlance it could be translated to: “The NSA gave the message because he has come to chop.”
Not a few people who knows Ribadu were shocked that anybody could rate him that cheap. But beyond that, Professor Oshodi saw it as a mockery of President Tinubu’s highest security officer.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
In a sub-title in the article, “THE ABUSE OF THE CABINET AND THE NSA: THEY COME TO COLLECT, Professor Oshodi wrote:
“The Minister’s disrespect did not stop at the Governor, (Fubara), it climbed the very ladder of the Federal Government.
Professor Egbeazien Oshodi
“When the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, visited Rivers to deliver a message of Presidential support for Fubara, Wike did not show respect, he showed contempt. He mocked the President’s highest security officer, suggesting the visit was a mere financial transaction:
“Everybody who comes to Rivers State today must say, ‘the President is happy with you,’ and they collect… for you to be able to suck part of that money, you must say Wike’s time is over’.
“By accusing the NSA of being a money sucker who sells the President’s happiness for money, Wike has devalued the office of the President. He has made the Commander-in-Chief look like a man whose endorsements are for sale. He has dragged the Presidency into the marketplace of suspicion with one reckless statement.
“That is not political rivalry. That is institutional humiliation. That is a Minister treating the President’s authority like a product that can be bought and sold.
“This is what it means to treat Tinubu like a child, to speak as if the President’s representatives can be insulted publicly without consequence, to behave as if the Presidency must absorb disrespect like a parent tolerating a stubborn child who refuses correction.”
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFFC over the N30 billion relief fund the state government received from the federal government to cushion the effect of the explosion in Bodija, Ibadan in 2024.
In the petition signed by HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraj and sent to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede on Sunday, the transparency body accused the Governor Seyi Makinde-led government of not being transparent over the N30 billion received from the federal government to assist the victims of the explosion.
The state government has however rebuffed HEDA, saying it did no wrong over the issue.
HEDA’s petition also comes amid fresh demands by the victims of the explosion who are lamenting that they were not adequately compensated by the state government.
During an interdenominational remembrance service held at All Souls Church, Old Bodija, Ibadan, last week to mark the second anniversary of the tragedy, President of the Bodija Estate Residents’ Association, BERA, the group representing the victims of the explosion called on the state government to come to their aid, to enable them build back their houses destroyed during the incident.
“I have to appeal to our people. There are families who lost loved ones and have not received anything. Some started rebuilding their homes but have not been able to finish because they lack access to funds,” Muyiwa Bamgbose, BERA President said.
Recall that the Makinde administration had clashed with a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose after the latter claimed that the state government received N50 billion relief fund from the federal government after the explosion.
The former governor had berated the state government for allegedly shortchanging the victims of the explosion, calling on Makinde to come clean over the matter, revealing that barely over N4 billion was shared to the victims by the state government despite the humungous amount allegedly received. .
According to the HEDA petition to the EFCC, the body is demanding the probe of the state governor for allegedly misapplying and diverting the fund, describing the government’s action as a breach of trust against the people of the state.
HEDA accrued the state government of lodging the N30 billion in an interest yielding account with a commercial bank in the country, calling on the agency to probe state governor and ensure that the fund is properly accounted for.
“The organisation is concerned that only about N4.5bn intervention funds were reportedly applied to relief and compensation for victims, while the entire N30bn remains largely unaccounted for,” part of the petition read.
Governor Makinde, the magazine earlier reported disclosed that the N30 billion received from the federal government remained untouched in the bank where it was lodged, saying his government used the funds from the state coffers to assist the victims , apart from the over N24 billion used for rehabilitation work of the area where the explosion occurred.
Reacting to HEDA’s petition to the EFCC, Dotun Oyelade, the state Commissioner for Information told The Punch that the position of the government on the N30 billion remains the same, saying there’s no cause for worry.
He accused critics of the government of playing politicos with the issue, citing the closeness of the 2027 general election.
Oyelade: “The Oyo State Government is at peace with the comprehensive and convincing statement issued on the unfortunate incident.
“We stand solidly by our statement and refer everyone to same. It’s 2026, the eve of the 2027 general elections. We understand and we are ready.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the gruesome murder of a house wife in Kano state, Fatima Abubakar, and her six children as barbaric, directing security agencies to apprehend those involved in the dastardly act.
The president has therefore ordered that a full investigation be conducted on the issue, with the sole aim of punishing those involved.
Tinubu’s directive came barely 72 hours after the incident, that has been widely condemned across the country. The state government said at the weekend that some suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident.
In a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, condoled with the family of the deceased, saying the government will get to the root of the killing. He also commended the police for swinging into action immediately after the incident happened, which led to the arrest of the suspects.
“The President condemned the action as barbaric and condoled with the bereaved family over the tragedy,” the statement noted.
“The President commended the police for the swift arrest of the principal suspects and ordered the investigation and diligent prosecution of the suspects.”
The magazine had earlier reported that Fatima and her children were killed on Saturday in a violent attack at Dorayi Chiranci Quarters in the state by the suspects.
Confirming the arrest of the suspects, the state police command said on Saturday, that among those arrested was a nephew of the mother of six.
According to the Command’s spokesman Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa in a statement he issued at the weekend, a team of police crack operatives successfully arrested the suspects during an operation that lasted for hours on Saturday.
“The suspects, Umar Auwalu, ‘m’, 23 years old of Sabuwar Gandu Quarters Kano, Isyaku Yakubu, ‘m’, AKA ‘Chebe’, 40 years old, of Sagagi Quarters Kano, and Yakubu Abdulaziz, ‘m’, AKA ‘Wawo’, 21 years old, of Sabon Gida Sharada Quarters Kano, were arrested during a Sting Operation that lasted between 10pm of 17th January 2026 and 4am of 18th January 2026.
“The leader of the syndicate, Umar Auwalu, a nephew to the deceased housewife, confessed to the crime and also admitted that the same syndicate has carried out a series of gruesome killings and attacks in the recent past, including the killing and burning of two housewives at Tudun Yola Quarters Kano.
“Recoveries from the suspects included four clothes with blood stains, the deceased’s two mobile phones, a Cutlass, a Club (Gora), and some amount of money robbed at the scene, as well as dangerous weapons. Investigation is in progress.”
Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, has been indicted by some stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Agege Local Government, of imposing Hon. Adewale Azeez as the Vice Chairman of LG.
A detailed Facebook post by Sheriffdeen Ojon popular as Omo Eko, questioned the political process that led to the emergence of the current Agege LG leadership.
Hon. Tunde Azeez, popular as Disco, the former Chairman of the LG resigned citing Ill health, giving room for Obasa’s Son, Hon. Abdul-Ganiyu Vinod, who was his Vice to take over the saddle as the Council Boss.
Ojon insisted that Obasa planned the succession process which gave room for him to select Disco for the position, knowing fully well that the State of his health will not allow him govern the LG. He added that the arrangement was temporary, before he resigned on health grounds, paving the way for succession within the same political circle.
The emergence of Hon. Adewale Azeez as the new Vice Chairman of the Council is, however, questionable. He is the son of the former Chairman, Hon. Tunde Azeez who resigned his position.
The appointment was deliberately kept low-key to avoid public opposition.
Ojon Omo Eko also raised concerns about the background and local familiarity of the Vice Chairman, claiming he had limited ties to Agege and lacked sufficient knowledge of the community.
He further questioned the qualifications of the former Chairman, making allegations regarding his Educational Credentials and past association with political activities.
These claims, though remain unverified.
He further accused the LAHA Speaker of wielding excessive influence over political structures in Agege and parts of Alimosho, describing it as a pattern of unilateral decision-making in Local Governance.
It, also, called on political leaders at the National and State levels to reassess internal party processes to promote transparency and inclusiveness.
Ojon Omo Eko also made a call for increased political participation and accountability ahead of the 2027 General elections, urging residents to support candidates they believe better represent community interests.
It would be recalled that prior to the last Local Government Election in Lagos, the people of Agege protested against the imposition of Chairmanship Candidates on the people, leading to the withdrawal of Obasa, the Son of the House of Assembly Speaker from the race of becoming the Chairman of Agege LG.
In a planned political move, Hon. Tunde Azeez emerged as the Chairmanship Candidate for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Agege LG, picking Obasa’s son, Vinod as his Vice.
Less than Six months into the saddle, he resigned, paving way for Obasa’s son to become the Chairman of the LG.
In its fight against quackery, Ondo State Police Command has arrested a suspect operating an illegal clinic at Ore.
Command’s spokesman, Abayomi Jimoh, explained that the arrest forms part of the intensified efforts to dismantle medical criminal networks operating within the state.
The statement stated that “the arrest followed an intelligence-led operation by Command’s Surveillance Team, during which the suspect, Idris Nasiru (male), aged 25 years, was apprehended.
“A search of his shop led to the recovery of various medical items, including packs of injection needles, medical drips, bandages, and assorted medical kits.
“Subsequently, a thorough search of his residence was conducted with a duly signed search warrant, during which used injection bottles, needles, and syringes were also recovered.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is not a registered medical practitioner, confirming that the clinic was being operated illegally.
“He has since made useful statements while in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.”
Commending the operatives for their prompt and professional conduct, the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, CP Adebowale Lawal, emphasized the importance of intelligence-led policing in disrupting criminal activities.
He reassured residents of the Command’s unwavering resolve to leave no stone unturned in ensuring the safety and security of lives and property across the State.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has reacted to a reported case of a Nigerian beaten to death in India, by his siblings, calling for thorough investigation into the matter.
The commission said it was saddened by the tragic and senseless death of Emeka Christian, a Nigerian national in Pune, India, allegedly beaten to death by two of his brothers, Chukwudi Okafor, 31, and Samuel Eze, over a romantic dispute.
NiDCOM in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun quoted its CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa as saying “We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones during this painful time. No family should endure such heartbreak.
NiDCOM called on the relevant Indian authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation, ensuring that justice is served without delay.
“We also urge all Nigerians in the diaspora to always be their brothers’ keepers, resolve conflicts peacefully through dialogue, and uphold the highest standards of conduct.
“As ambassadors of our great nation in their respective domains, your actions abroad reflect on Nigeria’s image, let us choose unity, respect, and lawfulness in every situation.
“Violence has no place among us. Together, we can build a stronger, more positive diaspora community,” Dabiri-Erewa, counselled
There are strong speculations that the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade 1, may head to Court over the emergence of Oba Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland as the Chairman, Oyo Council of Obas and Chiefs.
Last week Thursday, Governor Seyi Makinde inaugurated the Olubadan as the Chairman of the Council. But it did not go down well with the Alaafin. Proof? He did not attend the event held at the House of Chiefs Secretariat in Ibadan, the State capital.
The inauguration followed the passage of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs (Further Amendments) Bill, 2025, by the Oyo State House of Assembly.
Governor Makinde had stated at the event that the Chairmanship of the Council will now be rotational among the trio of Olubadan Of Ibadanland, Alaafin of Oyo and the Soun of Ogbomosoland, with each one of them serving a term of two years.
It was however, gathered from sources that the Alaafin deliberately stayed away from the inauguration out of what was described as “shame”.
This may prompt the Monarch to seek redress over the issue at the Court of Law.
“There is a tendency that the Alaafin will go to court. The late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, also went to court. The late Alaafin was the permanent chairman of the Oyo State traditional council, and he stated this clearly in all his letters. Nobody challenged him”.
Insinuations from sources close to the Palace of the Alaafin revealed that it would have been shameful to the Alaafin if he had attended the meeting, as the mantle of authority would have been taken away from him without prior notice and given to the Olubadan.
One of the sources said that the current Alaafin is suffering from the act of his predecessor, the Late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
“During Baba Lamidi Adeyemi’s time, he was involved in Ladoja’s impeachment. Since then, Ladoja has been angry with the Alaafin stool but couldn’t do anything then.
Oba Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja
“Now that he has become the Olubadan and Baba has passed on, he has decided to take it out on the new Alaafin. But he didn’t realise that this Alaafin is not that soft,” he added.
The Director, Media, and Public Affairs to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Adeola Oloko, has not issued a statement or reacted to the speculations that the Alaafin may head to Court and the alleged brewing crisis and supremacy battle between the Olubadan and the Alaafin.
Also, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, had declined to comment on the matter, saying that “Capital no comment,” when contacted.
It would be recalled that less than a year ago that the New Alaafin was installed after the passage of Late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, he has been at loggerheads with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi over supremacy battle, most recently, the installation of Okanlomo of Yorubaland Title to an Industrialist and Businessman by the Ooni, which the Alaafin queried, saying that Ooni does not have the right to give such honour and title to anyone.
He said he only has the constitutional right to do so, leading to brickbats, with the Alaafin issuing a Seven Day Ultimatum for the Ooni to reverse such Title.
