While Ìbàdàn indigenes were divided, while non – indigenes were confused, while obaship stakeholders have taken corrosive and sentimental sides, a gentleman took on another side, a side of courage and honour.
He is Governor Ṣèyí Mákindé, an Ìbàdàn indigene who watched keenly and patiently and then, listened to wise counsels from elderly elders of Ìbàdàn land and intelligent youths of the ancient city.
It was all about the needless tussle concerning the ascension to the exalted throne of Olúbàdàn. The tussle became needless because someone needlessly tampered with an order that wasn’t faulty nor chaotic.
Unlike the stories from other Yòrùbá towns and cities where roads to the palaces are usually bumpy and full of craters, the road to the palace of Olúbàdàn has always been largely smooth and clear of any form of encumbrances. And, unknown to many Ìbàdàn indigenes, other Yòrùbá sons and daughters really envied this order; an order that makes successors to the revered throne known decades before the incumbent vacates the stool. It was so organised and easily predictable.
The only drawback about it was that most of the occupiers of the Olúbàdàn stool (and the closest in line) are usually very old. This is because every real Ìbàdàn family is a ruling house with its own Mọ́gàjí (heir apparent). Coupled with those already standing on the several rungs of the ladder that leads to the throne, it usually takes decades for lucky heir apparents to sit on the coveted stool of Olúbàdàn. However, rancour over the next in line to the throne is almost non existent. Isn’t this better than what we have in some other Yòrùbá towns and cities where selection of monarchs are encumbered with inter and intra family squabbles, assassinations, legal tussles, etc?
From the deliberate error of the last administration in Ọ̀yọ́ State which tried to reform what was not deformed, GSM has towered higher than his predecessor, with the wisdom of the elders, vibrancy of a youth, profound knowledge of history and enviable respect for legality. Telling those who took those lesser crowns or coronets to drop off those mere materials and return to where they really belong, is just the right way to go.
One, GSM has not taken the pseudo ọbas away from their inheritance, even though they could have easily lost it with a ruthless political leadership in place. Two, GSM has shown the world that, ab initio, nothing was wrong with obaship ascendancy in Ìbàdàn land. Three, GSM has refused to pander to the whims of devilish politicians who were waiting to see him take a wrong decision on the matter through unwise, illegal, immoral and politically incorrect position.
And, for those who think that GSM is just trying to rubbish what his predecessor, the late Abíọ́lá Ajímọ̀bí did to reform obaship ascendancy in Ìbàdàn land, they should realise that this governor has only come to make things straight again.
In Yorùbá land, one man can’t wear two traditional crowns at the same time or at different times. Dropping off a coronet only to pick a higher, more prestigious crown is also unheard of. This is the crust of Governor Ṣèyí Mákindé’s intervention. If anything at all, the governor has even helped the coronet – wearing ọbas to have back the cake they hurriedly collected and ate when they didn’t know a day like this would come.
We should be careful how we pander to modernisation and civilisation when it comes to our unique identities – culture and tradition.
Once again, kudos to GSM for standing for justice.
In the words of Senator Olúfẹ́mi Lánlẹ́hìn, “Governor’s position, without doubt, is one borne out of courage and conviction, in the defence of the time – honored, fool – proof and established traditional institution of the ancient city.”
GSM has stood by the truth, even with the almost touchable political undercurrents and the risk to his second term ambition.