Ibadan, the historical political capital of the Yoruba people and the entire South West Region of Nigeria, may get a new royal father, the Olubadan of Ibadan this week, following the death of Oba Saliu Adetunji.
The revered first class monarch, who, at 93, joined his ancestors yesterday after a brief illness, was buried around 4pm at his Popoyemoja Palace, Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
A mammoth crowd of eminent Nigerians, top government officials, led by Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan, and many indigenes witnessed the burial conducted by the Chief Imam of Ibadanland Sheikh AbdulGaniy Agbotomokekere.
A government source disclosed to The Nation that the palace would write the Ibadan West Council today informing it officially of Oba Adetunji’s passage. The letter, it was learnt, would also inform the council of his burial and declare the Olubadan stool open.
However, a source close to the Olubadan-in-Council, said the council may wait for the completion of the 8th day fidau for the late monarch after which the high chiefs would meet to choose the new Olubadan.
It was learnt that two members of the council – the Eekarun Balogun and Eekarun Olubadan – will be excluded because they are not kingmakers.
According to the chieftaincy declaration, the next-in-line will be chosen, except there is a strong objection based on disability or question of integrity.
High Chief Lekan Balogun, who is the Otun Olubadan of Ibadan, is next in rank to the Olubadan. He is expected to be crowned as the new Olubadan.
Dr. Balogun, former university lecturer and senator, was the governorship candidate of the defunct Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) in Oyo State during the Second Republic.
The late Oba Adetunji was crowned the 41st Olubadan on March 4, 2017 after the demise of Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade.
Born on August 26, 1928 to the family of Raji Olayiwola and Suwebat Amope Adetunji in the Alusekere compound, Popoyemoja, he was the eldest of his father’s 17 children.
His mother came from the Balogun family of Apomu while his father was a renowned Ibadan indigene.
Explaining how the monarch passed on, his media aide, Adeola Oloko, said: “It was around 1am that Kabiyesi passed on.
“Around 9pm (Saturday), he was first taken to a private hospital, before he was taken to UCH, Ibadan, around 1am. Thereafter he passed on.
“Baba passed on after a brief illness. He spent about five to six days at the hospital.”
Also in a statement entitled: “Olubadan passes on, to be buried today”, Oloko said: “The 41st Olubadan of Ibadanland, and Chairman, Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I, has joined his ancestor.
“Oba Adetunji, 93, passed away in the early hours of this morning (yesterday) at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.
“He is survived by his wife, Olori Rashidat Ololade Adetunji, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He will be buried at 4.00 pm today at his Popoyemoja, Ibadan Palace according to Muslim rites. Other things follow later.”
President Muhammadu Buhari, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, governors, Asiwaju Bola TInubu and other eminent Nigerians have condoled with the government of Oyo State and the people of Ibadan over the loss.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, President Buhari charged the people of Ibadan, especially the royal family and the Olubadan-in-Council, to preserve the virtues of devotion to unity, peace and tolerance that Oba Adetunji was known for.
The President said the death of the monarch, whom he described as a visionary and compassionate leader, has created a huge void in traditional leadership in the country.
“President Muhammadu Buhari extends heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Oyo State, the royal family, the Olubadan-in-council and the people of Ibadan on the passing of Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji.
“The President affirms that the late Kabiyesi was a visionary and compassionate leader, who used the spheres of his influence as a respected traditional ruler and a lover of the creative industry to advance the progress of his people, encouraging and motivating them to give their best in their vocation and to the nation.
“While his demise understandably leaves a huge void to fill, the President urges the people of Ibadan and Nigerians from different walks of life to honour the eternal memory of the deceased by imbibing the virtues he cherished so much: generosity, peace, tolerance and devotion to unity.
“As the funeral rites of the 41st Olubadan of Ibadanland get underway in Ibadan, the President trusts that the process of selecting his successor will be guided by wisdom, understanding and good judment that exemplified the life he lived.
“President Buhari prays God to grant the soul of Oba Adetunji eternal rest and comfort the family, friends, associates and subjects he left behind”, the statement said.
Gbajabiamila expressed sadness over the demise, nothing that he provided good leadership as an exemplary leader with uncommon love for his people.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker sent his condolences to the Olubadan royal family, the people and government of Oyo State.
He prayed God to find a peaceful resting place for the late Olubadan and console his family and subjects over the loss.
Senator Lekan Balogun: The Man Who May Be Next Olubadan Of Ibadan
There are strong indications that the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Lekan Balogun, who hails from Ali-Iwo Compound in the ancient Yoruba city may be crowned the next King of one of the foremost and largest cities in Africa.
These are strengthened by the historical fact that the traditional structure of ascension to the throne of Olubadan, overtime has been well-arranged such that the chief that will succeed any sitting Olubadan would have known himself, if God blesses such chief with long life and he does not die before the reigning Olubadan.
Indeed, Senator Balogun has become the cynosure of all eyes as the likely successor to Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I, who joined his ancestors at 1am today Sunday, January 2 at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State.
In Ibadanland, there are two ruling lines of ‘Egbe Agba’ (civil) and ‘Balogun’ (military) from where Olubadans are appointed on rotational basis to occupy the stool on the death of a monarch.
The two high chiefs who are next in rank to the Olubadan from the two lines are the Otun Olubadan and Balogun of Ibadanland. The duo are recognised as second-class traditional rulers under the Western Nigeria Law. The chieftaincy system makes the royal succession tradition largely free from rancour, litigation and usurpation. Any male child title-holder of the metropolitan centre of Ibadan is a potential king.
The fact that Oba Adetunji was produced by the Balogun Line has automatically positioned the Otun Line to produce the next Olubadan. And the most senior chief on the Otun Line is Senator Lekan Balogun, who was in the Senate for Oyo Central from 1999 to 2003.
In an interview with Daily Sun in May 2017, Balogun said: “When I became Mogaji of Ali Iwo Compound, there were a lot of much older people, whose kids were even older than me. My compound used to produce the oldest person as Mogaji before my time. Yet, these people insisted I should be made Mogaji in the late 1970s. The Olubadan that we have produced so far – Ali Iwo I, reigned for three months as Olubadan.
“If I make it to the throne of Olubadan, I will be Ali Iwo II. After I became Mogaji, many young and educated men have been made Mogajis, which is the self reforming nature of the Olubadan chieftaincy system.”
But the Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000 Cap 28 spell out the power of the governor in relation to the appointment of recognised chieftaincies in the state. The laws stipulate that the four names would be forwarded to the governor four approval by the Olubadan-in-Council, among whom the governor will approve one. The laws made it known that the names of four most senior chiefs on the line that will produce the occupiers of the Olubadan stool should be forwarded.
In this instance, the four most senior chiefs on the Otun Line are Senator Lekan Balogun as the Otun Olubadan; Senator Rashidi Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State, as Osi Olubadan; Eddy Oyewole as Ashipa Olubadan; and Abiodun Kola-Daisi, as Ekerin Olubadan.
Section 14 (1) and (2) Chief Laws, talk about qualifications and disqualifications of any person to be appointed into recognised chieftaincy. It states that any person to be appointed into recognised chieftaincy shall be qualified, if he is a unanimously selected by his ruling house, though two or three candidates may be selected by his ruling house, which is the Olubadan-in-Council in this instance, while the kingmakers have the power to appoint one. But the governor must approve the appointment.
Another aspect of the laws say any person to be appointed, must not have been disqualified under any of the following grounds as contained in Section 14 (2) of the Chief Laws, that is, he must not be suffering from any serious physical infirmity; he must not be a lunatic and he must not be an ex-convict.
Every chief on the Otun Line has to ascend 22 steps and every chief on the Balogun Line has to climb 23 steps, to occupy the stool of Olubadan. It usually takes decades to groom an Olubadan for the stool through the stages of chieftaincy promotion, which is an average of 35 to 40 years.
It took Oba Adetunji 40 years to occupy the stool, having been installed as Mogaji in 1976, and became Jagun in 1978. He was installed as the 41st Olubadan on March 4, 2016.
Jagun is the first step on the Olubadan line. The predecessor to Oba Adetunji, the late Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I, waited for 35 years to become Olubadan. Odulana was promoted to Jagun in 1976 and was crowned as monarch on August 17, 2007 at the age of 93. His reign lasted for nine years.
The predecessor of the Oba Odulana, Oba Yinusa Ogundipe Arapasowu I, who was born in 1912, was crowed the 39th Olubadan at the age of 79 years on May 7, 1999. He had waited for 39 years to occupy the stool, and he reigned for eight years before he joined his ancestors in 2007 at the age of 87. He was appointed Mogaji of his compound at Oranyan in 1960 and was promoted to Jagun Balogun in 1964.
Also, the predecessor to Oba Ogundipe, Oba Emmanuel Adeyemo Operinde I, spent a total of 41 years between the time he was appointed the Mogaji of his family at Isale Ijebu in 1953 and January 14, 1994, when he was crowned as the 38th Olubadan. He reigned for five years. The 37th Olubadan, Oba Yesufu Oloyede Asanike I, was also in his 80s when he became king in 1983 and his reign lasted for 10 years.
Lekan Balogun’s (Otun Olubadan) Biography
The Otun Olubadan of Ibadan Land, sits on the Board of several companies with interests in Oil and Gas, Distributive Trade, Management Consulting, Mechanized Farming and Export of non-oil items as well as Travels and Tourism.
Erstwhile Administrator/Head, Industrial Relations, Recruitment and Scholarships, Planning and Development at Shell Petroleum Development Company, Balogun was also a Research Fellow with the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; a Director with Triumph Newspaper, Kano; Editor of the Monthly Magazine-“The Nigerian Pathfinder” as well as Management Consultant for Multinational Organizations such as Leyland, Exiat Battery and Nigerian Breweries. He’s a renowned technocrat, author and philanthropist.
He holds a Doctorate, Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in Public Administration; Public and Social Administration and Economics from Columbus International University, Brunel University and Manchester University all in the United Kingdom.
A former Presidential Aspirant on the platform of SDP, Senator Balogun was also a Gubernatorial Candidate for the PDP in Oyo State in the present political dispensation and a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Fourth Republic. He was chairman Senate Committee on National Planning and was a member to many Senate Committees such as Appropriations, Security and Intelligence, Police Affairs and Defence (Army). Oba (Senator) Balogun has written and published widely. Many of his publications include but not limited to; A Review of Nigeria’s 4 years’ Development Plan, 1970-1974; Nigeria: Social Justice or Doom; Power for Sale: published in Punch Newspaper; Arrogance of Power; Nigeria: The people must decide, among other publications.
Balogun, who represented the state at the red chamber, senate, and celebrated his 79th birthday last October, is statutorily the next person to occupy the Olubadan stool.
He reconciled with the late Oba Adetunji, less than three years ago following his installation by former Oyo State governor, late Abiola Ajimobi, as a king.
Balogun, a renowned technocrat, politician, and author started his primary education at CAC Modern School, Anlugbua, and lived with one of his brothers, late Hamzat Balogun, who was a civil servant but was studying privately for the General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level ( GCE O’L).
While he was also subscribing to Rapid Result College in the UK to enhance his performance in the examination, Lekan was secretly reading his brother’s correspondence tutorials which became very helpful to him when he wrote his qualifying tests which was like ‘G4’ at the time.
While in the second year of the three-year modern school programme, Lekan sat for the qualifying examination and passed. Therefore, he left school without completing the programme.
Armed with this certificate, he travelled to the United Kingdom where he studied for his O and A levels certificates while doing a part-time job to sustain himself- all under 18 years of age.
He left the university in 1973 with a Masters degree in Administration and Economics and had a brief stint with the Lamberth Local Government Social Services Department where he worked for one and a half years after which his academic inclination took the better of him and he enrolled for his PhD.
In 1973, he assumed duties as a research fellow at ABU Centre for Social and Economic Research and also had the option of working as a lecturer at the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University but he chose ABU instead because of the desire to relate with other people away from his birthplace and to know their cultures and traditions.
It was during his sojourn in the UK that he developed the white-black consciousness which crystallised into activism and the struggle for human rights. To give vent to his passion, he joined the leftist Marxist movement.
He plunged into the murky waters of politics in 1978 when he joined the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, of Late Aminu Kano. His charisma, honesty and gallantry soon saw him climbing the political ladder with ease and grace that eventually accorded him the respect and recognition of the political overlords of Oyo State.
Within a short period of time, he had made his mark as an astute politician, activist and champion of downtrodden masses. He later became the gubernatorial candidate of one of the major political parties in the country, the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
The military coup of December 1983 kept him and other political giants in the cooler for 16 years. He later re-emerged on the political scene with his election as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999.
