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Crisis Looms As Family Accuses Ibadan Monarch, Olubadan Of Imposing Preferred Candidate As Mogaji
Crisis Looms As Family Accuses Ibadan Monarch, Olubadan Of Imposing Preferred Candidate As Mogaji
NEWS
The Nigerian Record
7/26/20262 min read
The Olufadegin family in Ibadan, Oyo State, has accused the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, of attempting to impose his preferred candidate, Mr Fatai Omosanjo Amzat, as the family's Mogaji (compound head), warning that the move could trigger a crisis within the lineage.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by Elder Dauda Adesina on behalf of the Olufadegin family.
The position became vacant following the death of the family's former Mogaji, the late Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, who died on April 4, 2025.
Adeojo was the Seriki Musulumi of Yorubaland, a former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the party's governorship candidate in Oyo State.
According to the family, the contest for the vacant Mogaji position was between Mr Akeem Adeojo and Mr Fatai Omosanjo Amzat.
The statement claimed that an election supervised by the Mogaji Committee was conducted and that Akeem Adeojo emerged victorious.
It added that after Amzat rejected the outcome, another election was held, which ended in a tie.
The family alleged that rather than conducting another round of voting, one of its elders, Lateef Busari, sought to influence the process in favour of Amzat by leveraging his personal relationship with the Olubadan.
"What happened is this. Selection of Mogaji is within the family, and we have two contestants namely Akeem Adeojo and Fatai Omosanjo Amzat.
"In the first election, Akeem Adeojo defeated Fatai Omosanjo Amzat. But he (Fatai Omosanjo Amzat) disagreed. We went for another election which resulted to draw-draw. Instead of going for third one, one of our elders, Lateef Busari, in the family wanted him (Omosanjo Amzat) to be the candidate chosen, and said he would go at any length even to meet the traditional ruler one on one as well as using his personal relationship with the monarch to influence Omosanjo's emergence," the statement read.
The family further alleged that it was surprised to find Amzat's name included among the list of compound heads scheduled for installation by the Olubadan.
"To our amazement, our Baba, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja had listed Omosanjo as one of the Compound Heads to be installed. We expected our revered monarch to invite the two contestants and family members for a meeting. He (Olubadan) now wanted to impose him (Fatai Omosanjo) on us.
"This is very simple. They should allow us to pick our own Mogaji by ourselves. Imposing someone on us is against the tradition of Ibadanland.
"We are now appealing to our revered monarch, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to drop the name of Fatai Omosanjo Amzat among the proposed Compound Heads to be installed in order to avoid crisis within the Olufadegin family."
The family also alleged that the Olubadan-in-Council had already concluded the list of Mogajis to be installed before the monarch allegedly sought to include his preferred candidate.
It further claimed that the monarch had maintained political differences with the late Adeojo until his death.
"He was against our late Mogaji, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, politically till he died. He should allow us to rest. Why will he impose someone on us?" the statement added.