The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Rashidi Ladoja, have dismissed allegations by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, of a purported plot to dethrone the revered monarch.
In separate reactions issued through their media aides, the governor and the traditional ruler described the claim as unfounded, baseless, and politically motivated.
Fayose had earlier alleged in a post on his verified X handle that Makinde was plotting to remove Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.
He further claimed that the monarch would be queried for his absence at the recent elevation ceremony of High Chief Sharafadeen Ali to the status of an Oba in Ibadan.
However, the Oyo State Government swiftly refuted the allegation, insisting that no such plan existed.
Reacting to the claim, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the government had neither contemplated nor discussed any move to dethrone the Olubadan.
“Oyo State Government has never contemplated, discussed, or planned such an action,” Oyelade stated.
“There has to be a credible motive for every government action, and this, coming from the unofficial spokesman of our opponents, is better put in the refuse dump where it belongs.
“Desperate politics foists thoughtless propaganda and reduces democracy into a joke,” he added.
Similarly, the media aide to the Olubadan, Adeola Oloko, dismissed the allegation as a mere rumour, affirming that cordial relations exist between the governor and the monarch.
Describing Fayose’s statement as speculative, Oloko said there was no rift between Makinde and the Olubadan to justify such claims.
“It will be most unfortunate if it is not a rumour,” he said. “I don’t see any cause for friction between Governor Makinde and the Olubadan of Ibadanland.”
The rebuttals from both the state government and the palace have effectively put to rest the speculation, reaffirming the longstanding tradition of mutual respect between the Oyo State Government and the Ibadan traditional institution.