The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has condemned Governor Seyi Makinde for presiding over the coronation of three high chiefs as Obas in Ibadanland on Friday. The individuals elevated are High Chief Akeem Adewoye, Chief Kola Babalola, and High Chief Sharafadeen Alli, who is also a senatorial representative for Oyo South and an APC gubernatorial aspirant. The ceremony, held without the presence of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, drew sharp criticism from the APC. The party accused Makinde of disrespecting Yoruba tradition by installing empty chairs and photographs in place of the recognized traditional ruler. According to APC spokesman Wasiu Sadare, "Gov. Makinde made a mockery of the Yoruba traditional institution today when he installed photographs and empty chairs as Obas." The party described the act as unjustifiable and dismissed Makinde as an "accidental public servant."
Elevating political allies while bypassing the Olubadan sends a clear message about where Governor Makinde's priorities lie. That the coronation proceeded with empty chairs in the presence of a sitting senatorial aspirant on the ruling party's ticket suggests the event was less about tradition and more about political theatre. For Nigerians who value cultural institutions, the incident raises doubts about whether such titles now serve heritage or ambition. Symbolic acts like this rarely shift power, but they do reveal it.
