Olubadan Constitutes Panel to Resolve 19-Year Onido of Ido Chieftaincy Tussle

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has taken a decisive step towards restoring peace to the Ido community by constituting a special panel of inquiry to investigate the protracted chieftaincy dispute over the Onido of Ido stool. This royal intervention comes in direct response to the escalating tensions within the Ido Local Government Area, where three separate individuals have laid claim to the throne, creating a leadership vacuum and administrative confusion that has lingered for nearly two decades. The monarch’s decision to intervene signals a commitment to using traditional mechanisms of conflict resolution to settle internal rifts within Ibadanland's vast domain.

According to a statement from the Olubadan's media office, the newly constituted panel is mandated to conduct a comprehensive examination of both the immediate and remote causes of the crisis. The committee has been empowered to invite all relevant stakeholders, review historical documents, and listen to the grievances of the opposing factions. The ultimate objective is to provide the Olubadan-in-Council with actionable recommendations that will lead to a permanent and just resolution of the matter. The inauguration of the panel is scheduled to take place on Monday, January 12, at the Olubadan Palace in Oke Aremo, Ibadan.

The crisis in Ido has been described by community leaders as a "festering wound" that has retarded the town's development since 1997. Currently, the stool is contested by the incumbent, Oba Gbolagade Muritala Babalola (Gbadewolu I), and two former occupants, Chief Tajudeen Akinola Agura and Chief Benjamin Ademola Isola Orobiyi II. Each claimant argues their legitimacy based on different interpretations of the chieftaincy declarations and historical appointments, leading to a cycle of litigation and counter-claims. The incumbent, Oba Babalola, recently faced a suspension from the state government over alleged links to illegal mining but was reinstated in August 2024, adding another layer of complexity to the power struggle.

Community stakeholders, who recently petitioned the Olubadan to intervene, have expressed relief at the news of the panel's formation. They view the royal father's involvement as the most viable path to peace, noting that the traditional institution possesses the moral authority to broker a truce that legal battles have failed to achieve. The leader of the "Concerned Citizens of Ido" noted that the town has suffered enough from the instability and that the residents are eager to rally behind a single, undisputed monarch who can lead the community forward.

The composition of the panel, though not yet publicly detailed, is expected to include senior high chiefs and individuals with deep knowledge of Ibadan's traditional jurisprudence. Their findings will likely serve as the basis for a final pronouncement by the Olubadan-in-Council, which holds the ultimate authority over chieftaincy matters in the region. As the panel prepares to commence its sitting, the entire Ido community waits with bated breath, hopeful that this royal intervention will finally bring an end to the "three fathers, one crown" saga.