Why Ladoja was absent at Makinde’s inauguration ― Aide

A former governor of Oyo State and Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, did not shun Wednesday’s inauguration ceremony of Governor Seyi Makinde as insinuations from certain quarters suggested.

The media aide to the former governor, Alhaji Lanre Latinwo, in a statement on Thursday, said Ladoja could not attend the inauguration because it coincided with the fifth remembrance of the death of his son, Debola Ladoja, who met his untimely death in the early hours of May 29, 2014.

Lantinwo explained that Ladoja kept the reason to himself in order not to dampen the high spirits of the people around him, noting that the Ibadan High Chief sorely missed his son and stayed quietly in his Bodija residence on the day.

The statement said further that Ladoja, out of respect for the occasion and what it means to Makinde and the people of the state, did not inform Makinde, who met with the former governor for hours in Bodija on the day before the inauguration.

According to Latinwo, the meeting, which was held behind-closed door, lasted till the time the Osi Olubadan broke his fast on May 28.

He stressed that explanation became necessary in order to correct the erroneous impression and insulation being peddled in certain quarters that a fight had broken out between Ladoja and Governor Makinde.

He told the Nigerian Tribune that if anything, Ladoja wanted Makinde to succeed as governor of the state and would always offer support his government to make life meaning and abundant for the people of the state.

Ladoja midwived a coalition of four parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), that produced Makinde, who was the PDP governorship candidate, as governor.

“The death of the 31 years old Debola Ladoja, a promising son of the former governor of Oyo State exactly five years on 29th of May, 2019, was responsible for the absence of the Ibadan High Chief Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja at yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) swearing-in ceremony of Engineer Oluseyi Makinde as the governor of the state.

“Debola was working in a financial organisation before he met his untimely death on the early hours of 29th May 2014.

“The former governor kept the reason to himself in order not to dampen the high spirit of the people around him. This fact was also hidden from the governor himself out of respect for the occasion and what it meant to the people of the state when he visited High Chief Ladoja where he stayed up till the time of breaking of the day’s fast,” the statement said.