Mogaji Soladoye Adewole Celebrates Ladoja As Ibadan’s Long-Awaited King
•By OYENIYI AWOJOODU
IBADAN – THE Mogaji Ariyibi Arikotokowooggunsi, Olorisaoko, Abebi, Ibadan, Mogaji Soladoye Akeem Adewole, has described the Olubadan designate, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Akanmu Ladoja, Arusa Maru ti ise 1, as “the king Ibadanland has been waiting for,” celebrating his legacy of service, resilience and sacrifice ahead of his coronation as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland on September 26, 2025.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Mogaji Adewole, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, said Oba Ladoja is “gentle like a dove with blood of patience flowing in him, but also has the heart of a lion.” He added that over the years, God had made him “a defender of the downtrodden and a blessing to Ibadanland.”
Recounting his life journey, the Mogaji noted that Oba Ladoja was not originally a politician, but “providence brought him into politics.” His first political office was as a senator during the Babangida era, but the transition to civil rule was cut short when the regime annulled the June 12, 1993 election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.
According to him, “His Imperial Majesty aligned with Nigerians in condemning the annulment and joined forces with people of like minds to form the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) to compel the military junta to revalidate the annulled election. Oba Ladoja did a lot of daring and unimaginable activities in support of the revalidation of June 12 and the quest to declare Chief MKO Abiola as President.”
Mogaji Adewole recalled that Oba Ladoja incurred the wrath of the Abacha regime that succeeded Babangida.
“The warrant for the arrest of Senator Ladoja was signed a bit too late as he narrowly escaped the clutches of the military junta,” he stated.
He explained that ahead of the 1999 return to democracy, NADECO leaders approached Ladoja to contest the governorship of Oyo State. However, the former senator declined because he wanted to serve with honesty and without external control.
“He fondly referred to such people as ‘awon baba so pe’ meaning ‘the elders said.’ Oba Ladoja said: ‘I cannot run a successful government with such people. I will not enjoy my administration and neither will the people. My time will come,’” the statement quoted him.
That time eventually came in 2003, when Ladoja contested and emerged as governor. Mogaji Adewole said his popularity was visible across Oyo State during the campaign, describing him as “a people’s man, loved, respected and treasured.”
As governor, Ladoja introduced several reforms. “He initiated the principle of payment of salaries before month-end, ensured leave bonuses were paid in the month of appointment, and created the policy of 30 students per class in secondary schools. He also split schools to create more leadership opportunities for principals,” Mogaji recounted.
However, his refusal to share state resources with political hawks created opposition.
“A particular person even wanted security vote money to be shared, but Ladoja vowed never to be a looter of the public treasury. The hawks gathered, the vultures met, and hatched their evil plan. The illegal impeachment of Governor Ladoja got tacit support from an unusual quarter, and illegality was passed as legal. He was removed from office for eleven months,” he explained.
Despite this, the Mogaji stressed that Oba Ladoja remained committed to the rule of law and eventually reclaimed his mandate through the courts.
Turning to traditional matters, Mogaji Adewole said Ladoja also resisted attempts to tamper with Ibadan’s chieftaincy system.
“He was the last man standing on chieftaincy matters and strongly believed in the rule of law, which eventually worked for him,” he noted, commending the elders of Ibadan and the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) led by Barrister Sulaiman Ajewole Ajeniyi for brokering peace.
With his coronation drawing close, Mogaji Adewole described Ladoja as “a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a former Governor of Oyo State, a humanist, a dogged human rights activist, and a man as gentle as a dove but with the heart of a lion.”
He added that the prayers of the late Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji Ogungunniso, for Ladoja to ascend the throne had finally been answered.
Concluding, Mogaji Adewole prayed for a long and peaceful reign for the new Olubadan: “Ade a pe lori, bata a pe lese, irukere a di okinni. Kabiyesi ooo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rasidi Adewolu Akanmu Ladoja, Arusa Maru ti ise 1.”