houses, performance of rites, and final selection in line with the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration and subsequent instruments.
This is not a rivalry. It is a constitutional balance. One leg initiates. The other ratifies. Remove one, and the stool becomes unstable.
4. Why the Distortion Is Dangerous
The claim that “the Olisa said he is not entitled to choose and not to select” does three things:
1. It misrepresents the record.
The Olisa never said he has no role in selection. He only said his forefathers did not initiate the choosing. To collapse both steps is to mislead.
2. It erases the constitutional role of the Olisa.
The 1957 Declaration and subsequent gazettes and judgments recognize the Olisa as head of the kingmakers. Saying he has no role in selection sets up false legal arguments and confuses young Ijebus reading online.
3. It reveals the motive.
This twist appears only when a succession process is underway and a preferred candidate needs a cleared path. It is not scholarship. It is blackmail by proxy, designed to erase the Olisa’s role to suit a personal interest.
5. The Correct Position, From the Record Itself
1. Choosing = Odi and the family. They nominate based on knowledge of lineage and conduct.
2. Consultation = Ruling houses consult with the Odi and present candidates.
3. Selection = Kingmakers, headed by the Olisa, affirm, ratify, and present to the government for consent.
4. Consent = Government confirms the selection.
5. Rites = The candidate must be able to perform traditional duties. Religion is secondary to ritual competence.
This is the tripod. Odi. Ruling houses. Kingmakers headed by the Olisa. Remove one leg, and the stool cannot stand.
6. A Note to Ijebus at Home and Abroad
History is not “how it ought to be.” History is “how it was.” And the record is clear. The Olisa never disqualified himself from selection. He only described the division of labour in choosing.
To those circulating the distorted version: stop playing on the intelligence of Ijebus. If you want to argue the stool, use the whole transcript, not one clause taken out of context. Customary law is read in full.
The Olisa’s role stands. It stands in the 1925 testimony, in the 1957 Declaration, and in the gazettes and judgments that followed. No amount of “cho cho” can erase that.
Culture & Law | Ijebu Kingdom Monday, May 11, 2026 | Ijebu-Ode
©️The Truth magazine.
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