The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has waded into the protracted Onido stool crisis, in which three individuals are reportedly laying claim to the traditional leadership of Ido town in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The monarch announced the inauguration of a panel to probe the remote and immediate causes of the dispute, which has lasted for 19 years and left the community with three rival claimants to the throne.
The panel is scheduled to be inaugurated on Monday, January 12, at the Olubadan Palace, Oke Aremo, Ibadan.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Adeola Oloko,on Wednesday, the Olubadan urged all parties involved to maintain peace.
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He noted that the intervention was aimed at restoring order and unity in the town.
The statement did not disclose the composition or names of the panel members.
Concerns over the crisis resurfaced on Tuesday when residents and stakeholders of Ido town raised alarm over the lingering dispute, nearly two decades after it began.
Addressing journalists in Ibadan, the leader of the group, Sarafadeen Adeyeye, said the situation had become dangerous for the community.
“At the moment, Ido is in a very delicate situation because we have three different people claiming to be the Onido, namely Oba Benjamin Ademola Ishola Orobiyi II, Tajudeen Akinola, and Muritala Babalola. This is unhealthy for any community,” Adeyeye said.
He added that the unresolved leadership tussle had continued to fuel tension, confusion and division in the ancient town, and appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde and the Olubadan to intervene urgently.
Confirming the move, the Olubadan said the committee would begin work immediately after its inauguration.
“Part of the panel’s mandate is to examine both the remote and immediate causes of the Onido stool crisis,” he said.
“The second mandate is to make far-reaching recommendations that will guide the Olubadan and his council in resolving the 19-year-old crisis once and for all.”
The monarch said the panel was constituted in line with his powers as the prescribed and consenting authority on all chieftaincy matters in Ibadanland.
