“He Was an Exceptional King”: Tinubu Mourns As Olubadan Dies at 81

• President Bola Tinubu has celebrated the Olubadan of Ibadanland’s remarkable life of service to his people, state, and the nation
• Tinubu noted that Oba Mohood Lekan Balogun was an exceptional monarch who used his stool for the service of humanity
• Meanwhile, the controversy on who will be the next Olubadan, as shared by former presidential aide Tolu Ogunlesi, has stirred another round of debate in the polity

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

State House, Abuja - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mourned the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Mohood Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, with a deep sense of grief.

In a statement issued on Friday, March 15, by Ajuri Ngelale, his spokesman, President Tinubu described the late Olubadan as an exceptional king and a courageous man who stood for peace.

Read also

Just In: Ex-Governor Ladoja reveals next Olubadan, mourns Lekan Balogun

“His Imperial Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, was an exceptional king who used his ancestral stool in the service of humanity,” Tinubu was quoted as saying on Friday.

“He was compassionate, courageous, and an unrelenting advocate of the pristine ideals of peace, honesty, and unity. His wise counsel will be sorely missed at this time in the life of our country.”

The president condoled with the family of the Olubadan, the government of Oyo state headed by Governor Seyi Makinde, the Olubadan-in-Council, the Oyo State Traditional Council, and the people of Ibadanland and Oyo state “over this gaping loss”.

Bola Tinubu, however, called on those mourning to take solace in what he described as “the immortal legacies of the Olubadan”.

He said the Olubadan lives eternally in his good deeds and the memories of everyone touched by the majesty of his essence.

Read also

Why former Oyo governor Ladoja cannot succeed Oba Balogun as next Olubadan

“The President prays for the repose of the soul of the departed and comfort for those mourning this sad loss,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the late first-class traditional ruler in Oyo state will be buried on Friday by 4pm, according to Islamic rites.

Who is the next Olubadan?

Legit.ng reported earlier that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state announced the demise of Oba Balogun on Thursday evening, March 14, shortly after his departure at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan.

Soon after his death, there were controversies about who would become the next Olubadan, considering the fact that ascension to the throne was promotional, unlike in other traditions of the Yoruba.

But Oloye Akin Alabi, the lawmaker representing Egbeda/Ona-Ara federal constituency in Oyo state, in a post shared on his X account, disclosed that the next Olubadan will be High Chief Owolabi Olakulehin, who is the current Balogun of Ibadanland.

Source: Legit.ng