That renowned beauty of the Olubadan of Ibadan chieftaincy voyage unfurled again on Good Friday 2026 when the government of Oyo State under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde, elevated three high chiefs of Ibadanland to the rank of crown-wearing monarchs. SAM NWAOKO writes about the event.
Ibadan, the famed city of seven hills, the capital of Oyo State, the home of politics in the South West and in Nigeria, also has a unique chieftaincy tradition. The immense city has a custom which gives life to the anecdote: Mòkàn-mòkanl’oyè n kàn – loosely transliterated to mean that chieftaincy comes to recipients in turns. Ibadan should take ownership of this saying because it is about the only known community in the South West geo-political zone where its chieftaincy succession is so well structured as to arrive at the doorstep of its traditional rulers in logical, seamless turns. When a vacancy occurs in the line, the chain is not broken or scattered; the next in line already knows himself and naturally fills the vacancy. It is his turn.
The chiefs, high chiefs and now, the crowns of the city know their turns and patiently and prayerfully wait in line for their elevation at the right time according to their hierarchical standing. Thus chiefs of Ibadanland advance in rank in a natural succession format unique only to the city and its people. It is such that when a chief rises to a certain rank, he would not be far from the throne of Olubadan. And the city has a number of high chiefs who are members of the Olubadan Cabinet. This body, also known as the Olubadan-in-Council, is made up of 11 high chiefs for whom a request was made by the late Oba Lekan Balogun to become crown-wearing kings of Ibadanland.
These high chiefs, vide a law by the Oyo State House of Assembly in 2023, are now addressed as Royal Majesties. Their ascension to crown-wearing status followed a request by Olubadan LekanBalogun to elevate his cabinet members, a request which the government of Governor Seyi Makinde acceded to after it was amended and passed into law by the Oyo State House of Assembly, in 2023. The original law to admit the high chiefs to the crown was wrought during the administration of Senator Abiola Ajimobi in the state.
Following this new development in the Ibadan chieftaincy realm, 11 high chiefs of Ibadanland became the first set of such crown-wearing kings. Under the kingship of Olubadan Lekan Balogun, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin (Balogun of Ibadanland); Rashidi Ladoja (Otun Olubadan); Tajudeen Ajibola (Otun Balogun); Eddy Oyewole (Osi Olubadan); Lateef Adebimpe (Osi Balogun); Abiodun Kola-Daisi (Ashipa Olubadan); Kolawole Adegbola (Ashipa Balogun); Hamidu Ajibade (Ekerin Olubadan); Dada Isioye (Ekerin Balogun); Adebayo Akande (Ekarun Olubadan) and Abiodun Azeez (Ekarun Balogun) became the first beneficiaries of the new title.
To keep the process as smooth as it has always been, and to also further nourish the health of the Ibadan chieftaincy routine, there was the need to fill vacancies and elevate some high chiefs to crown-wearing kings recently. In a letter by the Olubadan Advisory Council to the state government, dated 31 March, 2026, a list of high chiefs who were due for elevation to wear beaded crown in Ibadanland was made known. The letter, with reference OL/ADV/CO/1242/847, addressed to the Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Honourable Ademola Ojo, said the beneficiaries of the honour were notified “for their information and necessary action.”
The letter signed by Dr. B. A. Olanrewaju, Director General, Olubadan Palace, on behalf of the Olubadan of Ibadanland listed the three beneficiaries as: High Chief Akeem Mobolaji Adewoyin (Ekerin Balogun); High Chief Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli (Ekarun Balogun) and High Chief Oyekola Babalola (SAN), (Ekarun Olubadan). The Olubadan Palace had written in response to an earlier letter by the Commissioner with number CB.211/10 VOL 11/68, dated 26 March, 2026 in which His Imperial Majesty was informed of the coronation and crown wearing of some High Chiefs.
ALSO READ: VIDEO: Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso, others lead protest to INEC headquarters
The momentous elevation presented as a joyous milestone in the journey of the three benefitting Ibadan high chiefs. Letters written to the Olubadan by the three show that they had already been using their new titles even before the coronation day. Indeed, one of them used a letterhead proclaiming him as an oba to write the Olubadan. A source said “One of them had already done crown measurement” at the ministry. The coronation was one occasion to showcase not just the inherent beauty of the Ibadan traditional journey, but it was also one through which the famed Ibadan tradition could be buoyed by the supportive action of the Seyi Makinde-led administration in Oyo State. The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ademola Ojo, noted that Ibadanland was a model of a structured and progressive traditional system. Ojo saw the elevation of the high chiefs as an occasion to strengthen the legacy of the Ibadan traditional institution just as it would also reinforce the relationship between the government and the traditional authorities. The day’s event, Ojo said, was “not merely ceremonial but a reaffirmation of our collective commitment to the preserving of our cultural heritage and upholding due process as stipulated in the Chiefs Law.”
At the legendary Mapo Hall, the very apt venue of the coronation, on Friday 3 April, 2026, dignitaries including Governor Seyi Makinde, other top government functionaries, traditional rulers and the kingly team of the Olubadan-in-Council were all in attendance to witness the epoch, with the exception of Oba Hamidu Ajibade. His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja was present through his representative, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, the Balogun of Ibadanland, and the venue also had His Imperial Majesty’s insignia and staff of office. Also present at the Mapo Hall on the day were the Olugbon of OrileIgbon, Oba Francis Alao; the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola; and the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Oyebola.
Governor Makinde, who himself was represented on the occasion by his deputy, Barrister Bayo Lawal, noted that although the recipients were not present at the venue, the elevation was necessary to prevent vacuum in the Olubadan succession system, particularly within the Balogun and Olubadan lines. The new kings, Oba Akeem Mobolaji Adewoyin the Ekerin Balogun, Senator Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli, the Ekarun Balogun and High Chief Oyekola Babaloa, the Ekarun Olubadan had sent in their regrets, citing timing and sundry constraints as reasons for their inability to be physically present at the coronation. Of important notice is Oba Adewoyin, who in his letter to seek a postponement of the event, cited an earlier approval of his elevation which had earlier been scheduled for 3rd of April 2023.
The Oyo State Deputy Governor said: “On behalf of the Governor of Oyo State, I have been delegated to perform the presentation of staff of office to the elected chiefs in Ibadanland. Let me make it abundantly clear that whether the elevated royal majesties are present or not, this function, as required by law, is being duly performed. The conferment is sacrosanct. The lineage and structure cannot be altered or bypassed. We are strictly following due process. This moment is significant in the cultural and governance history of Ibadanland.”
The Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, who spoke through Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, the Balogun of Ibadanland, lauded Governor Makinde for preserving the established elevation order for which the Ibadan traditional institution has become renowned. Oba Ladoja also congratulated the elevated traditional rulers. He also charged them on neutrality, especially in politics as they were now members of the Olubadan-in-Council who must maintain political neutrality according to the rules governing the throne.
A lawyer, Mr. Adebisi Adeyemo, meanwhile, objected to the ceremonies of last Friday. He described the elevation and coronation of the high chiefs in absentia as “potentially ultra vires”, and contended that the state government might have exceeded its legal authority.
Adeyemo had spoken on the backdrop of opinions that the elevation of the high chiefs was a ploy to deny one of them, High Chief (Senator) Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli, the opportunity to vie for the governorship of the state in 2027. This is sequel to a rule which says that any member of the Olubadan-in-Council should no longer play partisan politics.
However, another lawyer and Senior Advocate (SAN), Chief Adeniyi Akintola, expressed a contrary opinion and lauded the elevation of the high chiefs by the Oyo State government. He is of the view that the action of the government was predicated on a petition by one of the newly elevated high chiefs, and ignoring such petition might impugn on the right of such a qualified personality.
“Contrary to what many people are speculating out there, it was one of the recipients of the crowns that wrote a petition. In line with the law, he wrote a petition, and the Olubadan acted on it by writing to the governor. These three people are now qualified to wear a beaded crown by virtue of section 20 of the amended law of Oyo State, which I said was initially amended by Governor Ajimobi and was further amended by Governor Seyi Makinde.
“So, I have not seen anything wrong with what Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, former Governor Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja did, and what the governor did. Both acted within the ambit of the law. And, as a matter of fact, the crowning of the Obas was initiated by the recipients themselves, which the Olubadan of Ibadanland acted upon. Of course, the governor enforced it. That was the situation.” On the question of their absence, which many had conceived to be abnormal, Chief Akintola (SAN) said their absence did not negate their coronation nor did it invalidate the proclamation of their new statuses. “If you are promoted even in your place of work, you don’t need to be at home. You don’t need to be there. It’s a hierarchical thing, whether you are there or not. Once it is your turn, you can’t jump. And in any case, they themselves wrote for it. One of them wrote for it. So that’s what happened.”
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria lauded former Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his successor, Seyi Makinde, “for thinking outside the box on the Ibadan traditional system by achieving what Ibadan people had been clamouring for over the decades.” Akintola said Ibadan, with over 33 towns, now has 11 Obas, who are all under the authority of the Olubadan of Ibadanland. “The significance of the event was that the tradition of Ibadanland has now been codified, and it should gladden the hearts of every Ibadan son and daughter, because our traditional system has been adjudged as the best in the world. The law has been amended, and the tradition has now been codified. People should go and read it. There is nothing wrong with what was done. Everything is within the ambit of the law. It’s within the ambit of the law. And ignorance of the law is not an excuse, because many people don’t read.
“We are grateful to the Almighty God, who empowered and endowed two of our sons, Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Governor Seyi Makinde, to think outside the box and codify some of these traditional methods of doing things.”
Opinions do not seem to differ on one point: The succession system as exemplified in Ibadanland is not only enviable, it is worthy of emulation. Thus, Ibadan stands tall as a model of a healthy traditional institution and the Oyo State government must therefore always do all within the legal and moral limits to preserve this privileged legacy. A prince from Ogun State, who has lived in Ibadan all his life, Stephen Adenekan, noted that the Ibadan traditional succession model should be tried in some other communities in Yorubaland to stem the rising wave of chieftaincy disputes which often lead “long, winding and expensive court cases as well as war among brother-princes.”
Adenekan said: “If I am to suggest, traditional councils in other towns should look into their set-up and see if they can alter some things to allow them to copy the Ibadan model. It is less cumbersome and does not give the government so much room to manipulate the ascension of the traditional thrones. I like it, and I would like to see that happen in other Yoruba towns.”
On the event of Friday, April 4, 2026 at the Mapo Hall in Ibadan, opinions may vary, and emotions may well up, but all still agree that the beauty of Ibadan traditional succession system must be shielded from the taint and vagaries of political shenanigans. An Ibadan son, SulaimanAdeyemo, who reacted to the coronation and the issues around it said “if there was no politics in the air, we would not have been having varied opinions.” Adeyemo said: “It is better imagined what a chaotic or untidy traditional succession process would have amounted to for a city as vast, massive and cosmopolitan as Ibadan. The government must therefore always put its best foot forward with regards to this. Imagine the impact of a legal tussle alone among Agbooles and high chiefs of Ibadanland over succession! I think we are lucky in Ibadan, and we must let the government be.”
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV
Leave a Reply