Meet New Olubadan Of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, And Few Things To Know About Him

Oba Rashidi Ladoja has been officially installed as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, marking a significant milestone in both the traditional and political history of Nigeria’s largest indigenous city.

The recent passing of Owolabi Ige Olakulehin, the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland, led to the activation of the succession plan in the unique Ibadan Chieftaincy system.

While the Olubadan designate is a well-known businessman, former Oil and Gas executive, a former Senator in the aborted Third Republic in Nigeria, and a former governor of Oyo State, many are unaware of some of his more personal attributes.

Below are a few things to know about the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Rashidi Adewolu Akanmu Ladoja;

• Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja was born on 25 September 1944 in Gambari, Ibadan, making him a true son of the soil.
• He attended Ibadan Boys’ High School and Olivet Baptist High School before earning a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Liège in Belgium.
• Ladoja worked for 13 years at Total Nigeria, rising through engineering and managerial positions before venturing into business.
• Beyond politics, he built interests in shipping, manufacturing, agriculture, banking, and transport, and once served as a director at Standard Trust Bank.
• His political journey began in 1991 when he was elected senator under the SDP during the short-lived Third Republic.
• Ladoja was elected governor in 2003 on the platform of the PDP. He was controversially impeached in 2006 but reinstated by the Supreme Court later that year, finishing his term in 2007.
• His impeachment stemmed from a fallout with the late Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu, the powerful PDP leader in Oyo, whom Ladoja resisted over state funds and appointments.
• He successfully fought his impeachment in court, a move that cemented his reputation as a principled leader who valued due process.
• After leaving the PDP, he floated the Accord Party and later associated with ADC and the Zenith Labour Party, showing his flexibility in politics.
• Ladoja rose through the traditional Ibadan hierarchy to become Otun Olubadan, the most senior civil line chief. By succession, he is set to become the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.
• He has been married to his wife, Mutiyat, for over 42 years. They have six children, including Grace, who was honoured with an MBE in the UK for her work in the music industry.
• He is also a well-known polygamist despite his wife, Mutiat, being well known. Other wives are not that well known, despite his being in the limelight for the better part of the last forty years.
• As governor, he prioritised education, agriculture, affordable housing, and water projects. He is remembered as fiscally prudent, people-oriented, and humble despite his wealth.
• Ladoja is known for his preference for traditional Yoruba attire. Though initially hesitant about wearing a beaded crown, he eventually accepted it in 2024, embracing Ibadan’s evolving chieftaincy customs.

Today, he is admired in Ibadan and beyond for his humility, integrity, and ability to mentor younger politicians—qualities that now add weight to his role as Olubadan-designate.