Everyone knew that Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja was going to be an Olubadan like no one before him.
His antecedents were like that of none before him. Being a successful businessman across diverse sectors, senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, former Governor of Oyo State and a man who could be described as a cat with more than nine lives.
He is a man of many battles. Yet, in all, he is triumphant. His path to the seat of the Governor of Oyo state is anything but easy. His tenure was laden with challenges and opposition, brought upon him by his unwavering principles.
His path to the throne of Olubadan presented him with, perhaps, what some of us considered as his most daunting challenges, but, to my personal surprise, the 82-year-old monarch lived through those challenges unperturbed.
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A few days ago, specifically, last Sunday, I still asked him, how he was able to live through, what I considered a harrowing experience that threatened his ascension to the throne of the Olubadan Land and his explanations were as casual as ever.
He said, as a former Governor of Oyo state, he was the number two citizen of the state in order of protocol. He said, as a Monarch, in order of protocol, he would perhaps be called as number thirteen. So, either way, God has been good to him.
Each time I saw him talked that way concerning what he went through during the period of the controversial Gazette released by the Government of Oyo state, which compelled him to wear the beaded crown as the Otun Olubadan, I wondered how he was able to cope with his personal principles against his responsibilities to his family, Ibadanland and millions of his admirers across the world, who have always wished to see him on the throne of Ibadanland.
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Personally, if it had been possible for him, the former Governor would have stuck to his principles and damned the consequences, but, those choices were beyond his personal decisions and thank God for that.
I am not surprised that Oba Ladoja has been restless about the developments of Ibadan Land, Oyo state in general, the South West of Nigeria and Nigeria at large.
Apart from the dualization of the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road project which he personally requested from his friend, the president, I am also aware of a lot of other projects which he has facilitated for the benefits of Oyo state and the South West. Unfortunately, for some reasons, I won’t be able to mention them for now.
As a farmer, Oba Ladoja is also thinking of our heritage. In one of my visits to his Bodija residence, I met him having discussions with some Agricultural experts. He had been working on how to resuscitate the growing of some fruit trees which are going extinction. Particularly, he informed me that he is not comfortable with the fact that bitter kola and a fruit called ” Agbayun” are becoming extinct. I told him that I only heard of “Agbayun” in Yoruba proverbs.
I saw his passion in this regard and I wondered what he was looking for. I tried to persuade him to reduce the stress of trying to achieve what I thought should be the responsibilities of government but I could not succeed in persuading him against his passion and commitments to Yoruba heritage.
In the alternative, I thought I needed to see how I could facilitate a documentary on the activities going on in his personal Farm for the benefits of Governments at different levels and individuals who could be interested in the ideas of Oba Ladoja.
Today, the 25th of September, 2026, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja is 82 years old.
I pray that God Almighty will grant him more years of fruitful services to his immediate family, Ibadan Land, Oyo state, the South West and Nigeria at large.
Like I said, I saw him this last Sunday and he was bubbling with health and sharp in thoughts.
I pray that God Almighty continues to grant him the wisdom, understanding and knowledge of Solomon to continue to rule Ibadan Land.
Sola Abegunde.
