Approve Ibadan State before 2027, Oba Ladoja tells Tinubu 

The newly installed Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Adewolu Ladoja, has placed the long-standing demand for the creation of Ibadan State back on the national front burner, urging President Bola Tinubu to ensure its actualisation before the 2027 general election.

Speaking in Yoruba shortly after receiving his Staff of Office from Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at a colourful coronation ceremony in Mapo Hall, Ibadan, the monarch conveyed the sentiments of his people directly to the president.

“My people sent me a message to Mr President,” he declared to thunderous applause. “Mr President, they said the creation of Ibadan State is their priority.”

The day began with sacred rites at the Labosinde Compound, Oja’ba, where the Afobaje of Ibadanland, Chief Waheed Popoola, placed Akoko leaves on Oba Ladoja’s head, symbolising the completion of traditional rituals. The new monarch then proceeded in a grand procession through the city’s ancient streets, greeted by jubilant crowds, before arriving at Mapo Hall for the formal ceremony.

Governor Makinde, who returned from his annual leave to personally oversee the event, described Ladoja’s emergence as the 44th Olubadan as a source of collective pride.

“It is a great honour to join in celebrating the coronation and presentation of the Staff of Office to His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adewolu Ladoja,” Makinde said. “The joy and excitement that fill Ibadan today remind us of the importance of upholding our cherished traditions. The succession process to the throne of Olubadan is now well established and free from contestation, and this is a source of pride for us all. I rejoice with the Olubadan, the Ibadan Council of Chiefs, and the entire people of Ibadanland. It is my prayer that his reign will usher in lasting peace, unity, and greater progress.”

The coronation drew prominent personalities from across Nigeria’s political and traditional spectrum. Among those in attendance were the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke.

Also present were 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, alongside other federal and state lawmakers.

The call for Ibadan State dates back several decades, championed by indigenes who argue that Ibadan’s size, population, and historic contributions justify a separate state carved out of Oyo.

Oba Ladoja’s public appeal to Tinubu is significant, not only because it comes at his coronation but also because it amplifies a political demand that has resurfaced at every national constitutional review. With the 2027 elections drawing nearer, the monarch’s statement is widely seen as a reminder to the president that the people of Ibadan will measure his administration’s commitment to their aspirations.

Oba Ladoja’s enthronement also carries symbolic weight given his own political background. A former governor of Oyo State and long-standing political heavyweight in the South-West, he brings to the throne a rare blend of traditional authority and political experience.

Observers believe this could embolden Ibadan’s case for statehood, as the new Olubadan is positioned to use both cultural legitimacy and political networks to press the agenda more forcefully.