IT was a historic day in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Friday as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu joined eminent Nigerians and top traditional rulers at Mapo Hall for the coronation of Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.
News Point Nigeria reports that Addressing the crowd, President Tinubu likened the hardship Nigerians have been enduring since the introduction of his economic reforms to the pain of “a necessary surgery,” assuring citizens that the nation’s economy had “turned the corner” and was now on the path to growth and prosperity.
“Your suffering is a pain, a pain of a painful surgery, but it is now returning to the moment of growth and prosperity that awaits us ahead,” the President declared.
“Thank you for your perseverance, thank you for your endurance, and thank you for your understanding.”
Tinubu, who arrived the venue at about 2:28pm in the company of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, was joined by his counterparts from Ondo, Ekiti, and Osun States, alongside members of the Federal Executive Council.
Moments after receiving his Staff of Office from Governor Makinde, Oba Ladoja made a passionate appeal to President Tinubu to create an Ibadan State out of the current Oyo State.
“My people sent me a message to Mr President. Mr President, they said the creation of Ibadan State is their priority,” the monarch said, urging Tinubu to make the dream a reality before 2027.
The former Oyo State governor pledged to focus his reign on job creation for youths and urban renewal initiatives, promising to serve the people of Ibadanland with dedication and transparency.
In his remarks, Governor Makinde described Oba Ladoja’s emergence as the 44th Olubadan as a source of pride for Ibadanland, noting that the city’s succession process had become a model of stability and unity.
“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,” Makinde said.
“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.”
The coronation attracted a galaxy of dignitaries, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Adeoye, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale, and the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, among others.
Oba Ladoja succeeds the late Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, the 43rd Olubadan, who passed away on July 7, 2025, after barely a year on the throne.
Nearly three months after his predecessor’s demise, Ladoja was crowned in a grand ceremony that blended rich tradition with national political undertones.