>
Estranged members of the Olubadan-in-Council who were elevated to the status of obas by the last administration in the state have denied making any peace move with the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji.
This punctured expectations raised recently that the crisis which has kept the High Chiefs away from the palace of the Olubadan, who is against their elevation, was nearing resolution.
Recall that the High Chiefs were among 21 chiefs who were crowned obas by former Governor Abiola Ajimobi on August 27, 2017 followimg a review of the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration which the Olubadan and the Osi Olubadan, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, are currently challenging in court.
Some media reports had it on Thursday that the warring parties had produced the terms of under which the impasse would be resolved with some saying the obas may drop their crowns.
READ: Olubadan Chieftaincy crisis: Appeal Court rejects Oyo govt’s application for out-of-court settlement
But the obas have denied knowledge of the peace initiative which were not even acceptable to them.
The Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, who reacted on behalf of his fellow Obas said: “We are not averse to peaceful resolution of the impasse which was unnecessary in the first instance and which informed the recent rapprochement between the Olubadan palace and some of us.
“But to smuggle in a peace initiative that we are not part of through the backdoor is not acceptable to us and we reject the process in its entirety.
“What’s more, the Oyo State Government Gazette No 3 Vol.43 dated 29th March, 2018 which the said document ferociously attacked and which put a seal on our elevation is not presently a subject of litigation at any court of law.
“Curiously, attempt to dubiously smuggle the said gazette into the ongoing appeal case in which the litigant sought to set it aside was thrown out with the judge describing such a move as ‘an abuse of court process, vexatious and frivolous’.
“Do we now conclude that what the litigant could not achieve in a court of law, they wish to achieve it through the backdoor? We say no to such dubious arrangement.
“We equally reiterate that as much as we are for peace, unity and progress of our land, whatever peace process or initiative that will be sustaining must have our inputs.”