As the process of selecting the next Olubadan of Ibadanland that will succeed late Oba Olalekan Balogun Alli Okunmade II begins, heightened anxiety is growing over the health status of the next in hierarchy to the throne, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin.
The 89-year-old Olubadan-designate has been out of social scene in recent times.
Vanguard observed that before the passing on of Oba Balogun, Oba Olakulehin has not been attending meetings summoned by the Olubadan in council.
Oba Olakulehin was not seen at the palace of Oba Balogun after the announcement of his death while others were paying condolence visit. He was also not seen at the eighth day Fidau prayer for the deceased king.
Vanguard gathered that Oba Olakulehin has also been absent from about five meetings. Though, there is no official announcement, Vanguard got the hint that the family of Oba Olakulehin has been preventing people from seeing him.
The Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, is hale and hearty, his son, Sumbo Owolabi, told The PUNCH on Wednesday in Ibadan.
“He will soon make his first public appearance any moment from now and even attend the next meeting of the Council of Obas in Ibadanland,” Owolabi, a former commissioner in Oyo State, told our correspondent, who visited the family house on Wednesday.
The clarification comes in the wake of concerns that Oba Olakulehin was absent at a Monday meeting of the Olubadan in Council to deliberate on his nomination to Governor Seyi Makinde as appointment as the next Olubadan.
The ancient and revered Olubadan stool became vacant on March 14, 2023, following the death of Oba Lekan Balogun.
Balogun died aged 81 about two years after ascending the throne.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Council of Obas were to meet on Tuesday to formally nominate Oba Olakulehin to Governor Seyi Makinde for appointment as the Olubadan.
However, speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Hamidu Ajibade, raised concern about the absence of the Olubadan-designate, Oba Olakulehin, at a Monday meeting of the Council of Obas to deliberate on the enthronement process of Oba Olakulehin as the new Olubadan.
The Ekerin Olubadan said there were concerns that the Oba Olakulehin had not made any public appearance 12 days after he was named the Olubadan-designate, following the passage of Oba Balogun.
Insinuating that Oba Olakulehim might be unwell, the Ekerin Olubadan said, “If someone is not well or capable of staying on that throne, do you just want us to put that person there like a vegetable? Is it possible? What we want is whoever wants to become our Oba must be able to walk and speak, so that you will be able to communicate with him.”
However, when our correspondent visited Oba Olakulehin’s private residence at Alalubose, on Wednesday, his first son, Owolabi, said his father was in good health.
“You Daddy has aged already. So, before the late Oba Balogun’s demise, Baba had gone for a medical trip. And when the incident happened, he was still there. So, he just stayed back to relax a bit.
“As a new king, different people will be paying him homage and he will need to attend to them all. And with his age, he may not have the strength to receive different people across Nigeria; hence, the reason his doctor advised him to relax a bit.
“I want to debunk the rumour that he is incapacitated. The installation of the next Olubadan will soon be done. People should stop fake rumour. I also want to debunk another rumour that the crowned Obas have not seen him. They have now seen each other,” he said.
