A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has warned Seyi Makinde, the current governor of Oyo State, that his time in office is limited by constitutional mandate. Fayose made the remarks during a press interaction on Tuesday at the residence of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, in Bodija, Ibadan. He claimed Makinde was plotting to remove the monarch, a position Fayose described as divinely ordained and not subject to political manipulation. The former governor, who served 23 years ago, stressed that while political office is temporary, traditional rulers like the Olubadan serve by divine will and destiny. Fayose stated he visited to show solidarity with the monarch amid growing tension. "The Olubadan has an eternal tenure with God," Fayose said. "Your tenure was tied with the constitution of Nigeria, every other tenures like the Olubadan of Ibadanland is tied with God." He advised those in power to remember their time is fleeting. Fayose urged the monarch to disregard political noise, saying, "Ignore the noise of your dogs barking in the compound, Kabiesi, you have a lot of dogs, ignore their noise."
Ayodele Fayose's dramatic intervention at the Olubadan's palace is less about tradition and more about positioning—his own. By framing Seyi Makinde as a threat to a revered monarch, Fayose invokes divine legitimacy to shield Oba Ladoja from political scrutiny, while simultaneously reviving his relevance in Oyo State politics. The claim of a dethronement plot is unsubstantiated, but the timing is telling: a former governor with national ambitions inserting himself into a volatile local power struggle.
Oyo State has long been a battleground for political control between the governor's office and traditional institutions, both vying for influence over appointments and patronage networks. Fayose's invocation of God and destiny deflects from the real issue—how traditional rulers are increasingly drawn into partisan conflicts. His assertion that the Olubadan's tenure is eternal contrasts sharply with the constitutional limits of elected officials, a narrative that resonates emotionally but obscures accountability on both sides.
Ordinary Ibadan residents, particularly those dependent on state appointments or traditional court resolutions, stand to lose as this drama escalates. When political actors use cultural symbolism to mask power plays, governance suffers and public trust erodes. The noise benefits the elite, not the people.
This episode fits a recurring pattern: ex-governors leveraging tradition to challenge sitting ones, turning monarchs into political shields. It reveals how Nigeria's democratic institutions remain entangled with symbolic authority, often at the expense of transparency.
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