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| Oba Owolabi Olakulehin | |
|---|---|
| 43rd Olubadan of Ibadan | |
| Reign | 12 July 2024 – 7 July 2025 |
| Coronation | 12 July 2024 |
| Predecessor | Oba Lekan Balogun |
| Part of a series on |
| Yorùbá people |
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Olubadan (Yoruba: Lord of Ibadan; "the Olu of Ibadan") is the royal title of the king of Ibadanland in Nigeria.
Ibadan was founded in the 16th century, but the present Yoruba people only took control around 1820. By 1850, they had established their unusual succession principle, which is quite different compared with other traditional Yoruba rulers in that it alternates between two lines. It usually takes decades to groom an Olubadan for the stool through stages of chieftaincy promotion, thus meaning that just about any male born title-holder of the metropolitan centre is a potential king.
According to the outline history of Ibadan by Oba Isaac Akinyele, Ibadan was founded in the 18th century. Around 1820, an army of Egba, Ijebu, Ife and Oyo people won the town during their wars with the Fulanis. After a struggle between the victors, the Oyo gained control in 1829. A system where the Baale line (civic) and Balogun Isoriki line (military) shared power was established by 1851, subject to a traditional council representing both lines.
In 1885, the Royal Niger Company became effective rulers of the area, signing treaties with local powers such as the Olubadan, and in 1900, the British government formally assumed authority over Nigeria as a "Protectorate". The British created the Ibadan Town Council in 1897, using the traditionally powerful local chiefs to administer their town. In 1901, the Governor Sir William MacGregor introduced an ordinance whereby the Baale became the president of the Council while the Resident was only to advise when necessary (Rulers of Ibadan were generally referred to as Baale until 1936, when the title of Olubadan was resuscitated). [1]
On 1 October 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
Following several years of planning and construction, a new palace was inaugurated in July 2024. The new palace complex sits on a six-acre expanse of land situated at Oke Aremo. [2]
There are two ruling lines to the throne of Olubadan, 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 next to Olubadan and most senior on both lines are the Otun Olubadan (ie, oba's "right hand", and #1 deputy on civil line) and Balogun (#1 deputy on warrior line), who under the Western Nigeria Law are recognised as second class traditional rulers and who are included on the Nigerian equivalent of a civil list as a result. Others are the Osi Olubadan (ie, oba's "left hand" and #2 on civil line), Asipa Olubadan (#3 on civil line), Ekerin (literally "number 4" on civil line) and Ekarun (literally "number 5" on civil line), as well as Otun Balogun, Osi Balogun, Asipa Balogun, Ekerin and Ekarun Balogun, while the Seriki ("commerce minister" or "trade chief") and Iyalode, (i.e. mother of the town as "minister for women affairs" or "female chief") are also members of the Olubadan's privy council.
| Egbe Balogun / Balogun Line / Military Line | Egbe Agba / Otun Line / Civil Line | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step | Title | Current Title Holder | Step | Title | Current Title Holder |
| 23 | Balogun | Oba Tajudeen Adesoji Ajibola | 22 | Otun Olubadan | Oba Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja |
| 22 | Otun Balogun | 21 | Osi Olubadan | Oba Eddy Oyewole | |
| 21 | Osi Balogun of Ibadanland | 20 | Ashipa Olubadan | Oba Abiodun Kola Daisi | |
| 20 | Ashipa Balogun | 19 | Ekerin Olubadan | Oba Hamidu Ajibade | |
| 19 | Ekerin Balogun | 18 | Ekarun Olubadan | Oba Adebayo Akande | |
| 18 | Ekarun Balogun | High Chief (Senator) Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli | 17 | Abese Olubadan | |
| 17 | Abese Balogun | 16 | Maye Olubadan | ||
| 16 | Maye Balogun | 15 | Ekefa Olubadan | Ismaila Akinade Kilanko Fijabi | |
| 15 | Ekefa Balogun | 14 | Agba Akin Olubadan | Saka Fola Lapade | |
| 14 | Agba Akin Balogun | 13 | Aare-Alasa Olubadan | Teslim Folarin | |
| 13 | Aare-Alasa Balogun | 12 | Ikolaba Olubadan | Muibi Ademola Adewuyi | |
| 12 | Ikolaba Balogun | 11 | Asaju Olubadan | Raufu Delesolu | |
| 11 | Asaju Balogun | Senior Chief Mukaila Gbolagade Olawoyin | 10 | Ayingun Olubadan | Hammed Adetunji Lanihun |
| 10 | Ayingun Balogun | 9 | Aare-Ago Olubadan | Dauda Kolawole Gbadamosi | |
| 9 | Aare-Ago Balogun | 8 | Lagunna Olubadan | Williams Oyeleke Akande Oyekola | |
| 8 | Lagunna Balogun | 7 | Oota Olubadan | Oluyinka Akande | |
| 7 | Oota Balogun | 6 | Aare-Egbe-omo Olubadan | Olufemi Olukorede Ogunwale | |
| 6 | Aare-Egbe-omo Balogun | 5 | Gbonnka Olubadan | Wasiu Aderoju Ajibade Olasunkanmi | |
| 5 | Gbonnka Balogun | 4 | Aare Onibon Olubadan | (Barr.) OlumuyiwaMakinde | |
| 4 | Aare Onibon Balogun | 3 | Bada Olubadan | Suraju Abiola lyiola | |
| 3 | Bada Balogun | 2 | Ajia Olubadan | (Engr.) Dotun Sanusi | |
| 2 | Ajia Balogun | 1 | Jagun Olubadan | Akinola Adekunle Alabi | |
| 1 | Jagun Balogun |
The civil line hierarchy below the Olubadan proceeds thus: [3]
OLUBADAN 1. Otun 2. Osi 3. Ashipa 4. Ekerin 5. Ekarun 6. Abese 7. Maye 8. Ekefa 9. etc...
The eleven high chiefs that formed the Olubadan-in-council, apart from the Seriki and Iyalode, are recognised as the traditional head of each of the eleven LGs in Ibadanland. It was learned that the progenitors of Ibadan frowned on the involvement of the senior chiefs in partisan politics because of the salient neutral roles they were expected to play in their domains. For instance, they are appointed as presidents of customary courts, who are expected to adjudicate on matrimonial, land, boundary and other communal disputes.
The Olubadan has the sweeping powers to depose or peg a chief, irrespective of the person's position on the chieftaincy line. By implication, high chiefs on the lower cadre could be promoted above a high chief whose position was pegged. Even when forgiven, in the event that he was penitent, the promotion would not be reversed while the offending high chief served his punishment. For instance, during the reign of Oba Fijabi II, between 1948 and 1952, a wealthy Balogun, who was next to Olubadan, was said to have had his chieftaincy pegged. About the same time, a holder of the title of Osi-Olubadan was also hammered for acts of disloyalty to the cause of Ibadanland, an offence regarded as treasonable felony. Spirited efforts made by a former Minister in the old Western Region to seek redress from the government and the courts when his chieftaincy title was also pegged, was reported to have failed. Although he was said to have been forgiven after seeking help outside the courts, his juniors who had been promoted above him were said to have remained his seniors thereafter.
In 1983, the late Olubadan, Oba Yesufu Asanike, withdrew the honorary title of Are Alasa from the then Governor of the old Oyo State, the late Chief Bola Ige, for an act considered as being disrespectful to Ibadanland.
As of 2025, should the Olubadan post become vacant, the next to be designated, sometimes referred to as "Oba L'ola" (literally king tomorrow, and meaning the future king) is the currently the Otun Olubadan, Oba Rasheed Ladoja, the former oyo state governor who was promoted in 2024 after the current Olubadan ascended. [4] [5] [6]
As of July 7, 2025, it was announced that the 43rd Olubadan Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, had died just two days after celebrating his 90th birthday and after just under one year on the throne. Former Oyo state governor and senator Rasheed Ladoja is set to ascend the throne as the 44th Olubadan after the customary mourning period and coronation rites. [7]
On Aug 21, 2025, Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, officially approved Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan-designate and slated a formal coronation ceremony for Friday, September 26, 2025 at Mapo Hall in the ancient city. [8]
