The newly installed 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to grant the long-standing demand for the creation of Ibadan State before the 2027 general elections.
Speaking shortly after he was presented with the Staff of Office by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Friday, the monarch said he was delivering the people’s message directly to the President.
Addressing the gathering in Yoruba, Oba Ladoja declared: “My people sent me a message to Mr President. Mr President, they said the creation of Ibadan State is their priority.”
The appeal re-echoes agitation that has persisted for decades in Oyo State, where Ibadan indigenes have consistently demanded statehood, citing population size, historical influence, and cultural significance.
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Governor Makinde, while celebrating the coronation, described Ladoja’s ascension as a moment of pride for the ancient city. He stressed that Ibadan’s succession process, which had been fraught with disputes in the past, was now “well established and free from contestation.”
“It is my prayer that the reign of Oba Adewolu Ladoja will usher in lasting peace, unity, and greater progress for Ibadanland and for Oyo State as a whole,” Makinde said.
The event at Mapo Hall drew a large crowd of dignitaries across the country. Among them were the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; ex-Osun governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke.
Traditional rites had earlier been performed at the Labosinde Compound, Oja’ba, where the Afobaje of Ibadanland, Chief Waheed Popoola, placed Akoko leaves on Ladoja’s head before the monarch proceeded in a grand procession to Mapo Hall.
Political heavyweights and lawmakers also joined the new Olubadan’s entourage, including Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun (Ibadan South), Teslim Folarin, Senator Yunus Akintunde (Oyo Central), Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North), and Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala, who represents Ogbomoso North in the House of Representatives.
Oba Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State and prominent figure in Nigeria’s political landscape, now takes on the traditional mantle with his appeal for Ibadan State likely to spark fresh political debate ahead of the 2027 elections.
