Distinguished Senator Rashidi Ladoja: From his excellency to his imperial majesty

Since I will be delivering the Coronation Lecture on September 24, 2025, there is no need to issue an advance advisory to our new Kabiyesi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland. I am glad to be his chief in the continuity of titles that are held for life. Senator Ladoja is a household name not only in the state but also in the Republic of Benin. I am currently compiling the to-do list for an 84-year-old king to keep him running, working 12 hours a day. He has energy.

The saying, “May history be kind to us,” is a profound statement that must get an ‘Amen’ from all who utter it. I have recently unpacked the import of the quote following the announcement of Senator Ladoja as the new Olubadan. Sometimes, history affords a man two crowns: one forged in the cauldron of partisan politics, and the other in the immortal gold of tradition. Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, who all along used to be called His Excellency for piloting the affairs of the Oyo State government, now takes his place on the ancestral throne of Ibadanland.

His journey from the time he became the Governor of Oyo State has been full of struggles and an eye-opening vista: one that of expectations to the teeming masses and an uproarious state where politics has shown itself as a theatre of war, with the drums of an unceasing festival. His stint as a governor was no bed of roses. Life is not a bed of roses after all. He fought until the end and had his impeachment forcibly orchestrated, which was nullified at the twilight of his political scuffle with Alaafin Molete, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, a powerful noble and Oyo State’s “kingmaker” of the past. That is a show of strength and a testimony that destiny can only be deformed but never bent out of shape. He was revered by many as an exemplary leader who demonstrated his values through action rather than mere rhetoric and statements. His activities, which spanned agriculture and education, among others, spoke loudly of his cognitive disposition to addressing people’s needs, particularly at the grassroots level. His years in power, all summed up, may be taken as a rehearsal for the change from the honorable appellation of His Excellency to the royal and permanent Kabiyesi. It is the tale of a man who learnt the evanescence of mandate in politics and the infinitude of ancestry through tradition.

The kingship in Ibadan is different from all other kingships in Yorubaland in many ways. The central difference is that the Ibadan monarchy is not based on the coup de théâtre of opportunistic inheritance; it is rather a case of carefully climbing the ladder of service and seniority. The sacred ladder of Ibadan kingship is climbed only with due humility, by ascending the hierarchy of chiefs until you reach the position of Otun Olubadan. This is a system that not only presents patience as a virtue but makes it a necessity; it is a system where dignity is measured not by precipitance, but by endurance. Ladoja’s ascent was neither a chance gift nor an accident. It was the fruit of years of waiting and watching the tradition.

His journey to becoming the most supreme traditional ruler in Ibadanland started on October 1, 1993, when he ascended the throne as the Jagun Olubadan of Ibadanland. He was elected to the Nigerian Senate in 1992 on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Ladoja’s ascension to the Olubadan throne is a prophecy that reverberates far beyond the Ibadan palace. Despite the current challenges Nigeria faces with leadership and legitimacy, Ladoja is a symbol that modern government and traditional culture can coexist and thrive together. The Olubadan is not just a king in Yorubaland; he is a guardian of history and a symbol of a people whose city was once one of the mightiest in Western Nigeria. But Ladoja’s experience as a governor adds more to the story, as he has held power in both instances. His proclamation will go down in history as a testament to the enduring power of tradition, even in the midst of modernity.

Verily, a man can dream. The throne occupancy of Senator Ladoja is evidence that dreams can come true. From a boy born in Gambari village near Ogbomoso to the Olubadan, Senator Ladoja is a blessed person. He was a merit student who gained admission into the University of Leige in Belgium after he had earlier passed his “cumbersome” A-level examinations. He later secured employment at Total Nigeria, one of Nigeria’s most prestigious oil companies, following his graduation with distinction in Chemical Engineering from the University. After that, he achieved success in various businesses, including shipping, transportation, manufacturing, banking, and agriculture. To demonstrate his genius in the banking industry, he was once a Director of Crystal Bank, which later evolved into Standard Trust Bank (STB), and was subsequently merged with the United Bank of Africa (UBA). He was also a director of REAL Shipping, REAL Oil, and Karlander Nigeria Limited, all of which he held for years before becoming a State Governor.

Senator Ladoja’s governance blueprint is etched in concrete footprints. A Senator of the Third Republic, he advocated with vigor for industrial progress and grassroots development. His policies carved out space for agriculture and set the tone for public discourse. His later life as Governor of Oyo State reflected these beliefs in action. Investing in education and rehabilitating schools to reclaim the state’s intellectual mantle: he nicknamed Oyo State the “Giant of Knowledge.” His works also fostered local entrepreneurship and embraced foreign partnerships. His records show a state budget that prioritized human development over elitist comfort. These contributions affirm that Senator Ladoja is not just a custodian of culture but a technocrat of progress.

Some of his laudable achievements as the State Governor were the revival of the scholarship scheme for indigent students. Governor Ladoja made education his top priority during his tenure as Governor of Oyo State by approving the reconstitution of the State Scholarship Board. In 2007, he established the Ido Farm Settlement, which aimed to increase food production, provide employment opportunities, and further develop the agricultural sector. He was also credited for the 110-kilometre Ibadan Circular Road project, which is currently being overseen by the current Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde. To formally honor his vision, the road has been renamed “Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road.”

It is not far-fetched to notice that Senator Ladoja’s study and preservation of history have finally come to fruition, as he has been an integral part of the numerous crises over the definition of tradition and progress. Senator Ladoja will, from now on, wear a crown of traditional beads, not of electoral ballots. His transmutation from the State House to the palace is a poetry of continuity, where civic responsibilities have found a home in harmony with the custody of ancestral authority. Now is the time to make merry at the shrine of a man and his city: the city of brown roofs, and of his ever-faithful conscience to the rituals of tradition.

Epilogue: 

The wind is roaring

The birds are singing 

The morning drums are beating their rhythms 

into the flexibility of the human muscles. 

The city knows your name

The city calls you

The morning sun will return after the night’s long quarrel 

You have returned to reshape history in doting ways  

You have returned to draw visions on the city’s maps

You have returned to embrace destiny. 

The drums have spoken again, 

And their thunder rolling down the Mapo Hill,

Their rhythm calling the city to witness

The son of the soil who has come home to the throne.

Professor Falola is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland.

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