Ibadan Central Council election: Ladoja rejects disqualification of candidates

A former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja has advised those who were disqualified in controversial manners by Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) electoral committee to go ahead and contest in the forthcoming election.

Ladoja, who doubled as the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, gave this directive when he hosted some members of the organisation at his Bodija, Ibadan residence on Thursday.

Media Talk Africa reports that the event was attended by the two presidential candidates, among whom are Barrister Ajeniyi Ajewole and Mogaji Samson Olukayode Taiwo.

Our correspondent learnt that the CCII election has been fixed to hold in April this year.

Media Talk Africa gathered that Mr Adeola Oloko, a former Personal Assistant to a former Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji and some candidates have been allegedly disqualified by the electoral committee ahead of next month election.

Ladoja has, however, ordered the aggrieved candidates to go ahead and contest in the election.

He directed all the aggrieved candidates to also withdraw all cases filed against the apex socio-cultural body from court to allow for peaceful conduct of the election.

The monarch decried the use of libellous and uncharitable language to describe perceived and real opponents in the run-up to the elections, wondering why service-driven and voluntary assignments in CCII now attract so much hostility.

He said, “This is very disturbing. Many social media users see the platform as an avenue to say anything. Users should be mindful that there is proper record keeping of every item dropped”.