Kingship is not for the small minds, it is for the strong-willed men who are vibrant, knowledgeable, dignified and understand that the truest and greatest of all powers in the world is the one which is consciously devoted to the promotion and love of humanity.
It is also vital to realize that any human power that lacks such attributes may not be a worthy and desirable power.
Today, the 11th March, 2022 His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr) Moshood Olalekan Balogun becomes the new Olubadan of Ibadanland. As a monarch of destiny who, as a result of the departure to the great beyond of his predecessor, late Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji (Aje Ogungunniso 1) on 2nd January, 2022 after spent almost six years on the throne, the road was clear for Lekan Balogun to mount the exalted throne as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland.
The letter conveying the approval of his appointment by the Oyo State government under the leadership of Engr Seyi Makinde, the Executive governor of Oyo State was received on Monday 14th February, 2022. The letter with reference number CB211/10.Vol.1/27 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Dr. Bashir Olanrewaju was brought to the new Ibadan monarch by the Chairman of Ibadan South East Local Government, hon. Emmanuel Oluwole Alawode accompanied by the Director of Administration and General Services (DAGS) in the same local government, Alhaja Tawakalit Olufunke Adedotun. The letter was received exactly 42 days after the stool became vacant.
With that development, the tone for the coronation of Oba Moshood Lekan Baslogun as the New monarch in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and unarguably the most populous city in sub-Saharan Africa was set. Today’s event makes Alliiwo which happened to be one of the founding family warriors in Ibadan to produce another Olubadan of Ibadan land.
Anybody conversant with the Ibadan traditional institution would agree that it is a rarity for any family to lay claim to the traditional throne of the most populous city in West Africa owing to its Republican set up. Arising from this fact is the inability of the various families that had had the privilege of producing monarchs for the ancient city to repeat such a feat, leading usually to the appellation of ‘the first’ that Olubadans are noted for.
Today, history has definitely beckons in the about three centuries history of the Ibadan, Oyo State capital that only three families till date are recorded to have succeeded in producing more than one Olubadan and the three families, namely Aare Latosa, Akere and Fijabi could not make it more than twice. Thus, with the Aliiwo family where the new Olubadan, Oba Moshood Olalekan Ishola Balogun hails from, has joined the families mentioned above in producing another Olubadan.
The first Olubadan to be produced by the Aliiwo family, Memudu Aliiwo who reigned for just three months ascended the throne in 1952, exactly 70 years ago when the new Olubadan was just 10 years old. In between 1952 and now, there was another attempt to produce another Olubadan from the Aliiwo Dynasty, but man proposes and God disposes. High Chief Gbadamosi Giwa could not climb the ladder farther than Ekerin Balogun before he joined the ancestors.
The journey to the throne of Oba Lekan Balogun began in 1986 when the young, ebullient, vibrant and energetic smashingly dashing Shell British Petroleum (Shell BP) employee became Mogaji (family head) of the Aliiwo Dynasty.
As a young mobile and career-conscious personality, the least of his wish was to be tied down with any traditional title. What’s even more, being one of the Senior Managers in the organization and holding a very sensitive portfolio (personnel matters), his duty schedules involved shuttling between Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt where his organization had offices. But, like proverbial big fish that has no hiding place, the young man was thrown up by seemingly innocuous circumstances in his own estimation, but which was of significant and heart-breaking importance to his kith and kin in the Aliiwo Dynasty.
The then incumbent Mogaji, Alhaji Safiu Sarumo was accused of some misdemeanor, bothering on exclusivity in the administration of the family affairs and to worsen the matter, his inability to gain promotion in his about 14-year reign as Mogaji despite the availability of means through the sale of family land which he superintendent over to pursue the goal and this led to his removal. In the struggle to remove the Mogaji, the young Lekan was a leading force, combining his education (Ph.D. holder) with activism (a Marxist). His involvement was altruistic and flowed from his being an apostle of justice, equity and fair play. With the successful ‘prosecution’ of the ‘project’, he headed back to his job in Port Harcourt, but the family felt it would be a great disservice to the Aliiwo Dynasty to ignore such a personality as the replacement for the removed Mogaji.
The new olubadan considered it a joke taken too far when the idea was broached and this was owing to the fact that up till that moment, the position of Mogaji was exclusive preserve of the most elderly in the family. But, the family would not take that as members insisted on fielding him. It took the persuasion of senior members of the family before the young Lekan succumbed to their demand and that was how the journey began.
His appointment as Mogaji subsequently became an eye-opener to other families as younger elements started coming up as Mogajis. Could we say in all honesty that the journey actually began with becoming a Mogaji? Yes and No! Yes because the title happens to be the foundation of becoming anything in Ibadan traditional set-up and No, because it is not automatic that once you become a Mogaji, the road to the Olubadan throne is paved, not at all. Thus, to those who belong to the second school of thought, the journey actually begins with the Jagun chieftaincy title, the first title on the 42 rung-ladder that leads to the Olubadan stool and which successful Mogaji graduates to.
To proceed to Jagun from Mogaji amidst several Mogajis is not a tea-party as it involves horse-trading, lobbying and financial muscle. The new Olubadan weathered through the storm and became Jagun in 1990 barely four years after he became Mogaji and from there, the upward movement began. Of significant importance in the life of the new Olubadan was his foray into politics in the second republic. Launching out through the late Alhaji Aminu Kano’s People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in 1981, he ended up in Nnamdi Azikwe-led Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) on the platform of which he contested the 1983 gubernatorial election in the old Oyo State. The youngest of the trio of the late Chief Bola Ige of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), then incumbent Governor of the State, Chief Victor Omololu Olunloyo of National Party of Nigeria (NPN), the new Olubadan gave a very good account of himself in the election controversially declared as won by the NPN candidate (Olunloyo).
With his emergence as Mogaji, the family decreed that the new Olubadan should stay away from politics and this informed his non-featuring in the botched General Ibrahim Babangida’s transition to civil rule which produced the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Basorun MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He however yielded his contacts and experience to his kid brother, Mohammed Kolawole Balogun, who became a state officer of the defunct SDP with the highest votes in that election. That was where and when the incumbent Oyo South Senatorial District representative in the Red Chamber (Senator Kola Balogun) cut his political teeth.
In the course of time, the Aliiwo family realized that barring their family head (Mogaji) from participating in politics was like engaging in self-robbery of their dues in politics and the ban was lifted. This was why and how the new Olubadan joined the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 1998 and got elected in 1999 as Senator for Oyo South Senatorial District. He reluctantly decamped to the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2001 owing to irreconcilable differences between him and the then State Governor, late Alhaji Lamidi Onaolapo Adesina.
The new Olubadan was a leading member of the party, both at the State and national levels with Senator Lekan Balogun (SLB) Solidarity group which had spread across all the 33 local government council areas of the State as his anchor. A fearless politician, he remained a critical stakeholder in the party until his decision to hang his political booths when he became the Otun Olubadan in 2016.
A United Kingdom (UK) trained sociologist and administrator, the new Olubadan in the history of Ibadan traditional system is the most educated with a Ph.D and very robust political experience.
There is no doubt that today serves as one of the best in the life of Lekan Balogun who ascends the throne of the Olubadan stool at the age of 80 despite some controversies surrounding the traditional system of Ibadan chieftaincy title before his appointment which however, has been laid to rest. We therefore wish the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Moshood Lekan Balogiun abundant blessings, long and healthy life as well as endowment to serve his people in particular and Nigeria as a whole for long.
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