Former Oyo State Governor, Chief Rasheed Ladoja, is set to become the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland following the death of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who passed away on Monday at the age of 90.
By tradition, the stool of the Olubadan alternates between the Balogun and Otun lines. The late Olakulehin emerged from the Balogun (warrior) line, paving the way for Ladoja, who is the most senior chief in the Otun (civil) line, to ascend the throne.
Ladoja, 79, is a former senator, businessman, and politician who governed Oyo State between 2003 and 2007.
Born on September 24, 1944, in the Gambari area of Ibadan, he attended Ibadan Boys High School, Olivet Baptist High School, and the University of Liège in Belgium, where he studied chemical engineering.
Ladoja’s political career saw him serve in the Senate during the short-lived Third Republic. He later became Governor of Oyo State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. His administration was marred by political disputes, including his controversial impeachment in 2006, which was later nullified by the courts.
In recent years, Ladoja stepped back from partisan politics to focus on traditional responsibilities, gradually climbing the ranks of the Ibadan chieftaincy system.
The former governor had earlier rejected the ceremonial beaded crown under the administration of the late Abiola Ajimobi but later accepted it in August 2024 from the late Olubadan, Oba Olakulehin.
With the death of Oba Olakulehin, Ladoja is expected to ascend the throne in the coming days, becoming the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.
