A fresh controversy has emerged over the Onido of Ido stool as the IBILE Club, a socio-cultural organisation, faulted a recent statement credited to the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba (Barr.) Tajudeen Abimbola Ajibola, describing it as procedurally flawed and disrespectful to the authority of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

In a press statement issued on Friday and signed by its President, Mr. Lanre Ogundipe, the group expressed concern not only about the substance of Balogun’s comments but, more fundamentally, about what it described as a breach of established traditional process and institutional hierarchy within Ibadanland.

According to the IBILE Club, the Balogun Olubadan lacks the authority to make a definitive public pronouncement on the Onido of Ido stool, particularly at a time when the matter is already before a committee constituted by the Olubadan-in-Council.

“The Balogun Olubadan is not the Olubadan of Ibadanland, nor is he vested with unilateral authority to foreclose deliberation on a matter that is already before a duly constituted committee,” the statement said.

The group argued that no individual chief, regardless of rank or seniority, has the prerogative to pre-empt or undermine an investigative process established by the Olubadan, warning that such actions amount to institutional indiscipline and erode the integrity of the traditional system.

IBILE Club further described as “improper and unprecedented” the issuance of what it termed a definitive verdict on a sensitive traditional dispute from outside the country, while a formal inquiry mechanism is ongoing at home under Olubadan’s authority.

“Ibadan tradition is clear: hierarchy is respected, consultation is mandatory, and restraint is expected,” the statement added.

The group also took issue with claims that the matter had been conclusively settled through executive actions of past and present Oyo State governors, including the late Abiola Ajimobi and the incumbent, Seyi Makinde. According to the club, government recognition does not override customary authority or extinguish legitimate traditional concerns within Ibadanland.

“Government actions do not stop the Olubadan-in-Council from exercising oversight. The assertion that there is no dispute is premature,” Ogundipe said.

He argued that the very decision of the Olubadan to constitute a committee on the matter was evidence that outstanding issues remained unresolved, stressing that any attempt to declare the controversy settled through media pronouncements runs contrary to Ibadan’s age-long culture of decorum and internal conflict resolution.

The IBILE Club was careful to state that its position should not be misconstrued as an attack on any individual monarch or traditional ruler, including the former Governor of Oyo State, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja.

“This is not a contest against any individual. It is a call to uphold the sanctity of the Olubadan institution, which can only endure when its internal discipline is preserved,” the statement read.

The group called on all stakeholders to allow the Olubadan’s committee to carry out its assignment without intimidation, pre-judgment or external interference, insisting that respect for due process remains the cornerstone of Ibadan traditional governance.

“The committee must be allowed to do its work. That is the Ibadan way,” the statement concluded.

The Onido of Ido stool has, in recent times, generated debate within traditional circles in Ibadanland, with observers urging caution and adherence to established customs to prevent further tension.