Eze Ndigbo Of Ibadan Land Appoints Olubadan As A Chief 

By Emmanuel Adeniran

The Eze Ndigbo Of Ibadan Land in Oyo State, Chief Alex Anozie has appointed the Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba Senator Lekan Balogun as the newest ‘Ezi Ogo Ukwu Nidigbo’, an Igbo Chieftaincy title on the foremost Yorubaland Traditional Ruler in Ibadan, Oyo State. 

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Chief Alex Anozie, the Eze Ndigbo of Ibadan Land and that of Oyo State, while officially announcing the Chief title in Ibadan recently, explained that the Ndigbo on January 29, 2023 made history by gathering together to launch their almanac besides using the opportunity to honour their beloved great in-law, His Imperial Majesty, Kabiyesi Olubadan, with an Igbo title, which means a very good and great in-law of Ndigbo.

Anozie while speaking recalled that on December 4, 2022 during their Igbo day celebration at Liberty Stadium in Ibadan, Ndigbo conferred on their daughter, Her Imperial Majesty, Joyce Balogun, with an Igbo Chieftaincy title of “Ada Oma Ndigbo Nala of Ibadan and Oyo State”.

Anozie observed that Kabiyesi Olubadan is married to one of their beautiful daughters of Igbo origin from Onitsha adding that the marriage is wonderfully blessed with beautiful children while the couple are living together peacefully all these years as husband and wife.

“With the authority conferred on me by my people Ndigbo in Ibadan and Oyo State since the year 1997, I hereby confer this title on our dear Imperial majesty, Oba Lekan Balogun”, he declared, “Everything we can do to keep moving on with the peaceful and progressive manner Ndigbo and Ibadan people and indeed Yoruba have been living together in Nigeria, we shall continue to do and encourage.”

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However, this didn’t not sit well with Yoruba scholars and elders, as such title was seen as an insult on the throne of Olubadan and the Yoruba race in general. Many were of the opinion that the self-acclaimed Igbo king, a guest in Ibadan, overstepped his boundary by giving a title to the Olubadan Kingdom, his host.

“Àyà gbàǹgbà ní’lé onílé, hábà Àlejò” conferring a title on the King on his own land”.

“This shows how stupid we appear to have become! ‘A mà wá r’ógo o’. They are playing politics here, but it is rude and we have to separate issues and disallow our revered Oba from being disrespected. ‘Ọba kii joyè n’ilẹ̀ tiwa’: nobody can confer Chieftaincy title on any of our Ọbas, no matter how tiny his town is. This lady should be scolded and made to publicly denounce this nonsense and apologise to “Kábíyèsí,” one wrote.

“Abomination. Even a prince doesn’t take chieftancy title from other king,” wrote another.

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“An ‘Anozie’ confers chieftaincy title on an Olubadan.” Meaning an Anozie (whoever he may be and wherever he may be from) conferred a chieftaincy title on the paramount ruler of Ibadan. Other than the audacity, it is even procedurally and ethically unheard of, for a paramount ruler (equivalent to a King) to now be subjected to the indignity of being regarded as a lesser Chief of whoever. Abomination burúkú nìyẹn now! That’s the height of indignity that can be visited on a King. Àbí after King, wetin remain? Conferring our Olubadan with another minor chieftaincy title is akin to subjugation. The “conferer” has essentially assumed authority over the “conferee”. It’s simple.”

“That someone would even think of doing it is one thing, that the person now actually has the gut and effrontery to actualise it is quite galling. Àrífín gbáà nìyẹn. It is the worst of slight and an affront to the Stool”.

“How do you demote a paramount ruler (King) like Olubadan and now call him one of your chiefs?”

“There was and is nothing noble behind that intention. It was a deliberate act of mischief calculated to ridicule the symbol of the people of Ibadan. It is plain and simple”.

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“Where else have you heard of such ridiculous conferment? What is bad is bad please”.

While response is being awaited from the Olubadan palace over the development, the Yoruba people are concerned about the implication of allowing such action to go unpunished.

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