Olubadan of Ibadanland Laid to Rest: President, Governors, and Prominent Nigerians Pay Tributes

The late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, was laid to rest on Friday, March 16, 2024, at his ancestral home in Aliiwo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Prominent Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, paid their respects and offered heartfelt tributes to the departed monarch.

President Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, expressed his deep grief over the loss of the Olubadan.

He described the late monarch as an exceptional king who used his ancestral stool in the service of humanity.

The President emphasized the Olubadan’s remarkable life of service to his people, the state, and the nation, and urged all who are mourning to find solace in his immortal legacies.

Governor Seyi Makinde, represented by his Deputy, Bayo Lawal, led other government functionaries to the family burial ground at Aliiwo.

Dignitaries at the ceremony included the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, the President-General of Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, Niyi Ajewole, and the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Abdulganiyu Agbotomokekere, among others.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in a statement released from Baku, Azerbaijan, where he is attending the 11th Global Baku Forum, praised the late Olubadan for his impeccable record of incorruptible leadership and his contributions to the political, social, and economic life of Ibadan, Oyo State, and Nigeria.

The Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, also paid tribute to the late monarch, highlighting his royal leadership to his people and his service to the country as a Senator of the Federal Republic.

The funeral was marred by the unfortunate incidents of pickpocketing and phone theft by miscreants who took advantage of the large crowd.

Despite the security measures in place, some attendees lost their phones and valuables during the burial ceremony.

As the Olubadan of Ibadanland is laid to rest, the people of Ibadan and Oyo State mourn the loss of a distinguished leader whose legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of those he touched.