Delay In Beaded‑Crown Elevations For Sarafadeen Alli, Others Raise Troubling Questions

By custom and under the Ibadan Chieftaincy Declaration of 1957 (as amended), these high chiefs are due for promotion to beaded crown status, a symbolic but statutory step toward the Olubadan stool. Yet reports suggest that this process is being inexplicably delayed, even after a communication from the Oyo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, dated 17th March, was received at the palace.

The speculation, whispered in political and palace circles alike, is that the Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, may be intentionally holding back on the elevation process because of Senator Alli’s current political position as the Senator representing Oyo South, and his interest in the Oyo State governorship race under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Should this be true, it would represent a troubling blending of monarchy and politics and a dangerous precedent for Ibadan’s revered chieftaincy system.

It is unambiguous that once a high chief is crowned with the beaded crown, that status effectively bars him from active partisan politics. For Senator Alli, who is a known ally of Oba Ladoja, the timing of his elevation could make or break his ambition. But does that justify the delay of an established traditional process? Should an ancient institution, guided by custom, bend under the weight of political calculations? Other deserving high chiefs should not have their legitimate progression stalled because of the political calculations surrounding one man’s ambition.

The Olubadan stool has long stood above partisan fences. The system has survived political manipulation precisely because it maintained fairness in succession and honour in elevation. Oba Ladoja, should, therefore, not plunge the institution into political mechanisation. Any suspicion that the chronological succession plan can be politicised undermines not just one man’s ambition, but the moral authority of the throne itself.

The history of Ibadan teaches that no crown should serve two masters; culture and politics cannot co-govern. The moment either intrudes upon the other, the delicate hierarchy of tradition begins to fracture. If indeed there are political undercurrents behind this delay, the lesson should be clear: kingship must remain sacred, and elevation must follow order, not interest.

Ibadan’s stability has always hinged on this principle. Tampering with it for short-term political advantage risks eroding the very values that make the city’s traditional system the envy of Yorubaland. In any case, the promotion of others along the established line of succession cannot and must not be held hostage to the political aspirations of a single individual. If the current controversy is not firmly and transparently resolved, the question may soon cease to be about who wears the next beaded crown and become, instead, whether the crown itself still commands unquestioned respect.