Laolu Afolabi

IBADAN, though a cosmopolitan city, boasts of a rancour-free succession process for the emergence of its king, the Olubadan. The age-long succession principle makes it unique and different from that of any other in any other Yorubaland. The town has successfully rotated ascension to the throne of the Imperial Majesty, the Olubadan, between two ruling lines. There is the Egbe Agba (civil) line and there is the Balo- gun (military line). There was a Seriki line which has become moribund. The two lines, civil and military, produce the Olubadan on rotational basis. The next to the Olubadan and the most senior on both lines of ascendancy are the Otun Olubadan and the Balogun. The Ibadan kingmakers, according to the Western Nigeria Law, under the 1959 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration, comprises the Otun Olubadan, Balogun, Osi Olubadan, Asipa Olubadan, Ekerin Olubadan, Otun Balogun, Osi Balogun, Asipa Balogun, Ekerin Balogun, Seriki and the Iyalode, with the Ekaarun Olubadan and Ekaarun Balogun added to the list to make the Olubadan-in-Council, with the Olubadan himself sitting at the apex of the council. The deceased monarch, Oba Lekan Balogun, began his claim to the throne in January 2022, immediately after the passage of the then Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji. The late Oba Lekan Balogun emerged as Olubadan from the civil line, which means the next in succession will be from the Balogun line. The current Balo- gun of Ibadanland, the most senior on the line, is Oba Owolabi Akinloye Olakulehin. Speaking after a meeting held at Oba Olak- ulehin’s residence at Alalubosa GRA on Friday, the Otun Olubadan, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, when asked who is the next Olubadan, said, “Where are we now? There is no controversy in succession to the throne of Olubadan. We all know who the next Olubadan is. We only need to allow all rites and, until then, the next in line remains Olubadan-designate.” The 84-year-old Oba Owolabi Akinloye Olak- ulehin, the incumbent Balogun of Ibadanland, is the Olubadan-designate. When he eventually wears the crown, he will be the 43rd Olubadan in history. Born July 5, 1939, he is from the Okugbaja family from Ita ‘Bale area of Ibadan, in Ibadan North East Local Government Area of Oyo State. Ita ‘Bale is famous for its rich cultural back- ground. It boasts of a very large conglomerate of families, each having its Mogaji. It boasts of big families like the Olakulehin, Daodu, Dara- mola, Jenriyin, Akinrinde (Kola Daisi), Kuye, Mosaderin, Ogboriefon, Jenrola (Alao-Ar- isekola family), among others. The last Ibadan ruler from Ita ‘Bale was Baale Ajayi Oyesile Olugbode, who reigned between 1851 and 1864. It was the last time the area produced the Ibadan ruler. In fact, it has not produced any Olubadan as the name implies. The title, ‘Olubadan’, was invented in 1930. As fate would have it, the republican sys- tem of Obaship in Ibadanland was believed to have been firmly established in 1851, when Oyesile Olugbode (from same Ita ‘Bale with Oba Olakulehin) became the Baale of Ibadan and Ibikunle became the Balogun; Sunmola Laamo became the Otun Baale, while Ogun- mola was installed Otun Balogun. The innova- tion became a regular feature, leading to the evolvement of two separate chieftaincy lines. The Baale title gave the holder the civic responsibility, while the Balogun title belonged to the war chiefs. The two lines, since then, had been producing the next Baale or Olubadan of Ibadanland in a sequential order. Oba Olakulehin, when he is finally crowned and presented with staff of office after the coronation, will become the first Olubadan from Ita’Bale area. A man of military background, he retired from the Nigerian Army and, during the aborted Third Republic, under the Social Democratic Party (PDP), he contested and won election into the House of Representatives, represent- ing Ibadan North-East Federal Constituency. It was the same period the Otun Olubadan of Ibadan, Senator Ladoja, contested and became senator under the same party, SDP. A civil en- gineer by profession, he worked briefly with the Ministry of Works, established a printing press, Olakulehin Printing Press and a bakery. His late father was a Muslim, but, Oba Olakule- hin converted to Christianity. He became a Mogaji of the family in 1983 during the reign of Olubadan Asanike and later became Jagun Balogun in 1986. It was a jour- ney of 38 years to the throne. Just as some of his predecessors, it took Olubadan Yunusa Bankole Ogundipe 35 years from emerging Jagun Balogun in 1964 before emerging Olubadan in 1999; ditto for the late Oba Samuel Odulana, who started the journey as Jagun Olubadan in 1972, before ascending the throne in 2007, waiting for a period of 35 years. The late Oba Saliu Adetunji became mogaji in 1976, joined the ladder as Jagun in 1978 and eventu- ally became Olubadan in 2016, 38 years after. Any male born title-holder is a potential king in Ibadanland. The first step for a prospect- ive aspirant is to emerge Mogaji of his family, then the struggle and survival of the fittest to emerge as Jagun on either lines of Otun or Ba- logun. The Otun Olubadan line has 22 rungs while the Balogun line has 23 steps to become the Olubadan. For Oba Olakulehin, it was a tortuous journey from Jagun Balogun - Ajia - Bada - Aare Onibon - Gbonnka - Aare Egbe Omo-Oota - Lagunna - Aare Ago - Ayingun - Asaju - Ikolaba - Aare Alasa - Agba Akin - Ekefa - Maye - Abese - Ekaarun Balogun - Ekeerin Balogun - Ashipa Balogun - Osi Balogun - Otun Balogun and presently, Balogun of Ibadanland from where he is now the Olubadan-designate.