Residents of Iganna have written to the Oyo State House of Assembly to reject the decision to downgrade the Sabiganna of Iganna from 13th to 25th in the hierarchy of the Council of Chiefs and Obas in the state.
Recall that OYOINSIGHT.COM has reported extensively on how the new bill on the Council of Obas and Chiefs in the state, passed by the Debo-Ogundoyin led House of Assembly on Tuesday, has come under immense criticism from various quarters of the state.
In a letter to the Speaker by residents of Iganna, signed by Sodiq Yusuf, they described the downgrade of the rank of the Sabiganna as a legislative assault on the history and legacy of Iganna people.
They noted that, if anything, the rank of the Sabiganna should be upgraded from 13th to 5th based on the history and trajectory of traditional stools in the state.
The letter read:
“With utmost respect, we, the sons and the daughters of Iganna Kingdom home and abroad commend the Governor Seyi Makinde led Administration, the (Rt). Hon. E.A. Ogundoyin led 10th House of Assembly of Oyo State and the Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy matters under the chairmanship of Hon. Akintunde Olajide for the bold step taken to ensure that the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs which has been inactive since 2011 becomes functional again through the introduction of the COUNCIL OF OBAS AND CHIEFS (FURTHER AMENDMENT) BILL, 2025. Being a private member bill, we cannot but give kudos to the speaker and the four honourable members of the House who are the co-sponsors of the bill.
The purpose of this letter is to appeal to the government to maintain the same 13th position which our highly revered Sabiganna of Iganna currently occupies in SCHEDULE 1 to the COUNCIL OF OBAS AND CHIEFS LAW, 1959, CAP. 37, LAWS OF OYO STATE, 2000 in the proposed COUNCIL OF OBAS AND CHIEFS (FURTHER AMENDMENT) BILL, 2025 currently before the House or upgrade His Royal Majesty to the first five position that His Majesty is supposed to occupy being the Head of all the kings in the Ekun-Otun (Right Division) of the Oyo Empire.
As seen in the Members of the Council in SCHEDULE 1, the proposed COUNCIL OF OBAS AND CHIEFS (FURTHER AMENDMENT) BILL, 2025 currently before the hallowed chamber relegates the Sabiganna of Iganna to the 25th position and this is shocking. It is more shocking to see that Akibio of Ilora, Oloja of Ago Oja, Olu of Igboora, Otun Olubadan or Balogun, Asingangan of Igangan, Alajaawa of Ajaawa, Alepata of Igboho, Onigbeti of Igbeti, Presiding Chairman of the Traditional Council in Saki East Local Government, Onitede and his fellow rotatees and the Presiding Chairman of the Traditional Council in Itesiwaju who are ranked below the Sabiganna of Iganna under this COUNCIL OF OBAS AND CHIEFS LAW, 1959, CAP. 37, LAWS OF OYO STATE, 2000 currently in vogue are now listed above the Sabiganna of Iganna.
The Sabiganna of Iganna has been recognized since 1978 by virtue of PART II OF CHIEFS LAWS, CAP. 21, VOL.1 OF LAWS OF OYO STATE, 1978. The highly revered him has also been one of the 17 beaded crown Obas under the CHIEFS (WEARING OF BEADED CROWNS) ORDER since 1978. His Majesty is equally recognized under the RECOGNIZED CHIEFTAINCIES (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ORDER, 1998. Given the great historical status of Sabiganna and the lengthy years of council membership, the Iganna Kingdom finds it hard to believe that the Obas in rotation and the recently crowned members of the Council of Obas and Chiefs are listed above the Sabiganna who was approved as members of the council at the same time with Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Bashorun of Oyo and Onikoyi of Ikoyi at the time, the members of the Council of Obas and Chiefs were just thirteen.
Since the grading of the traditional rulers are supposed to be based on the history and membership seniority, Sabiganna is classified as one of the obas who is a direct descendant of Oduduwa on pages 377 and 388 of the White Paper on the Chieftaincies Power of Prescribed Authorities in the State published on the Oyo State of Nigeria Gazette on 16th July, 2021 because the first Sabiganna called Ghandi Sabi Safa is a son of Onisabe of Sabe who is a grandson of Oduduwa. The same Ghandi led the war on behalf of Oyo Empire against the King of Nupe (Tsoede) and won. Upon bringing the Nupe king’s head before the Alaafin, Alaafin honoured Ghandi by handing the brave him the Staff (Opagun/Opa-Ase) appointing him as the Head of the Ekun-Otun (Right Division) of the Oyo Empire. The history has it that there were over 140 towns and villages under the control of Ghandi Sabi Safa in Ekun-Otun which is today known as Oke Ogun area of Oyo State which extends to Iberekodo in Ogun state. Also, Alaafin asked Ghandi to keep a similar king makers structure like that of Oyo and this accounts for why our king makers structure is as that of the Oyo till today. In furtherance of the honour, Alaafin asked Ghandi to start celebrating the Odun-Oko-Oba as he did do in Oyo. Odun-Oko was a festival the celebration of which Alaafin did not allow any other person to do except Sabiganna. It is for this reason that only the Alaafin and the Sabiganna of Iganna do celebrate the said Odun Oko festival.
As regards the seniority, the Sabiganna of Iganna has already been recognized since 1978 by virtue of PART II OF CHIEFS LAWS CAP. 21, VOL.1 OF LAWS OF OYO STATE, 1978. It is pertinent to state that the said recognition was not a mere political benevolence but a statutory confirmation of the Sabiganna’s greatness as briefly narrated above. Similarly, It was for the above that the recommendation of the three members commission under the Chairmanship of Hon. Justice S. Akin Oloko (Retired) that if the government was disposed to increasing the membership of the Council of Obas and Chiefs, Sabiganna should be given priority or alternatively the Sabiganna should be allowed to rotate membership with the Onjo of Okeho having been recognized under the CHIEF LAW, 1978 and having regard to the fact that both of them come from the same Local Government as at then.
In Conclusion, the 25th position proposed for the ancient Sabiganna’s throne in the COUNCIL OF OBAS AND CHIEFS (FURTHER AMENDMENT) BILL, 2025 is nothing short of the legislative assault on the heroic contributions of our forebears and our collective cultural existence in Iganna Kingdom. It is our submission that reformative expediency ought not to triumph over our historical institutions. We, therefore, appeal to the authority to reinstate our highly revered Sabiganna of Iganna to the 13th position or alternatively to the first five position that His Majesty is supposed to occupy being the Head of all the kings in the Ekun-Otun of the Oyo Empire which is now known as Oke-Ogun.
Submitted for your positive consideration while the executive council of Iganna Development Council extends its warmest regards to the 10th Oyo state House of Assembly under your watch. We sincerely wish you God’s guidance and successful tenure of office.“
