Ibadan Mogajis Deny Endorsing Makinde for 2027 Presidency, Affirm Apolitical Stance
A group of traditional rulers in Ibadan, including Mogajis, has strongly denied reports that they endorsed Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for the 2027 presidency and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) governorship candidate Bimbo Adekanmbi.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the leaders insisted they remain “fathers to all” and have not thrown their weight behind any aspirant ahead of the next general elections.
The clarification, signed by the President of Ibadan Mogajis, Mogaji Asimiyu Ariori, and the Coordinator of the Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI), Mogaji Dr Nurudeen Akinade, came in response to a viral social media video that claimed the Mogajis had backed Makinde and Adekanmbi.
The traditional leaders said the claims were false. They stressed that they fully align with the apolitical position of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja.
The statement followed a meeting of the Association of Mogajis in Ibadanland held at the old Olubadan Palace in Ojaba, where more than 200 Mogajis were present.
“At the meeting we held today at Ojaba… we unanimously agreed that as Mogajis, we are the fathers of all. Those that endorsed Governor Makinde and Adekanmbi are doing it on their own because we don’t have any business with those behind the endorsement,” the statement read.
The Mogajis emphasised that their office must not be dragged into partisan politics. They reaffirmed loyalty to the Olubadan, noting that he remains their father and the custodian of their traditional authority.
“We abide by the position of Olubadan. He is our father, and he owns the beads on our hands and around our necks, so wherever Olubadan goes is where we also go… Olubadan is our father; we cannot work against his interest or his position. Mogajis are fathers of all politicians, and we must maintain our integrity and preserve the beauty of our Olubadan traditional
