The Balogun Ndigbo of Ibadanland and Oyo State, Chief Aloysious Obi, has petitioned the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, over what he described as the monarch’s purported endorsement of Dr. Alex Anozie, as leader of Igbo in Ibadanland.
Obi in a protest letter titled “Setting the record straight on Igbo traditional leadership in Ibadan and Oyo State” to the Olubadan and members of the Olubadan-in-Council said the endorsement was an attempt to cause misunderstanding and confusion among Ndigbo in Oyo State.
The endorsement of Anozie appeared in the media recently advising that disputes among Igbo people in Ibadan should be handled by Anozie as the traditional leader of the ethnic group in Ibadan and Oyo State.
But Obi in the letter said there was a case before the Court of Appeal over the traditional leadership of Ndigbo in Ibadan and Oyo State between himself and Anozie.
While insisting that the endorsement was prejudicial and had caused him and the entire Igbo community, at home and in diaspora an embarrassment, he called on the monarch to within the shortest possible time correct what he described as “an action done in error.”
Obi who recalled that he was pronounced “Olori Gbogbo Awon Igbo” (Leader or head of Igbo Community) by Oba Adetunji in 2016, said he believed that the monarch could not approbate and reprobate at the same time on who is the authentic Igbo traditional leader in Oyo State.