Olubadan of Ibadanland Oba Lekan Balogun has berated Yoruba Nation campaigner Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho for criticising the conferment of chieftaincy titles on Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his wife, Prof. Hafsat Ganduje.
Sunday Igboho had criticised the monarch for the gesture in a video made in Yoruba language. Although he did not mention the monarch or the titles he referenced the ceremony held on Saturday.
Reacting to his comments, the palace spokesperson Oladele Ogunsola said in a statement on Monday, “The attention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, has been drawn to the trending video of the Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, condemning the conferment of chieftaincy titles on both the Governor of Kano State and his wife, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Prof. Hafsat Umar Ganduje respectively.
“In the said video shot at the palace of Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Olusola Alao, Igboho was seen advising the monarch not to join the Yoruba Obas conferring chieftaincy titles on people that do no merit them and that the Olugbon should advise his colleague Obas to desist from such.
“As much as the Yoruba nation activist is entitled to his opinion as well as conviction on the Yoruba nation project, he must concede to the fact that others too have the right to do certain things that in their wisdom are considered helpful to Yoruba cause.
“It must be placed on record that the present Olubadan is too refined to be seeking for who to honour with chieftaincy title for whatever purpose. But, when a case was made for the Kano State first couple by the Yoruba community in the ancient Kano city through their head, Alhaji Muritala Alimi Otisese and the adduced reasons were considered on their merit, Kabiyesi gave his consent.”
The statement added that Ganduje has been compassionate to the Yoruba people in his domain and he is also building an auditorium at the University of Ibadan where he bagged his doctorate degree.
“The fact that some people from the northern part of the country have taken to crimes and criminality does not mean that all northerners are criminals,” the statement added.
