The leader of the Seriki Line of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Adebayo Oyediji, died on Friday in Ibadan. He was aged 92.
According to sources from the family of the famous business tycoon and philanthropist, the nonagenarian died in a private hospital in the state capital after a brief illness.
Chief Oyediji had instituted several suits in Oyo High Courts against the State Government and the sitting Olubadan over his claim that he and not Oba Saliu Adetunji, should have been installed by Governor Abiola Ajimobi after the passing on of Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade in January 2016. He had claimed that he was to be the 41st Olubadan of Ibadanland going by his seniority in the Olubadan-in-Council hierarchy.
Former High Chief Meredith Adisa Akinloye, National Chairman of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and lawyer was the last Seriki Olubadan but he could not ascend the throne of Olubadan because of his sudden death on September 18, 2007 at 91.
Since then, High Chief Oyediji, who was next in rank to Akinloye, had been engaging in legal struggles up to the Supreme Court to ensure that the Seriki Line, which was later sidelined, was restored. Since the demise of Akinloye, none of the High Chiefs in the Seriki Line had been afforded the opportunity to be in the Olubadan chieftaincy line.
