Since His Royal Majesty Salihu Adetunji, the Olubadan died on 2 January, 2021, at the University College Ibadan, the race to occupy the thrown became red hot like the red hot charcoal that mama Okorie roast her plantains and yams with at mile one junction in Port Harcourt.
These are the names of the powerful Ibadan chiefs and their traditional titles who faught tooth and nail to ascend the vacant throne:
- Lekan Balogun (Otun Olubadan)
- His Excellency, Senator Rashidi Ladoja (Osi Olubadan)
- Owolabi Olakulehin (Balogun Olubadan)
- Olufemi Olaifa (Otun Balogun)
- Eddy Oyewole (Ashipa Olubadan)
- Tajudeen Ajibola (Osi Balogun)
- Amidu Ajibade (Ekaarun Olubadan)
- Lateef Gbadamosi (Ashipa Balogun Olubadan)
- Kola Adegbola (Ekaarun Balogun)
- Abiodun Kola-Daisi (Ekerin Olubadan)
The names that are missing from this list are, Hulk Hogan, Dwayne Johnson ‘AKA’ The Rock, Ric Flair, Mighty Igor, Mill Mascara, The Undertaker, Rowdy Roddy Piper. Your guess is as good as ours as to what kind of wrestling, tussling, upper-cutting and body-slamming that would have gone down before the eventual winner emerged.
You know as e dey go *wink* – Abi you be small pikin?
So, Senator Lekan Balogun came tops – But who is he? – This article was my first time hearing of the man. The new strongest man of Ibadan. He must be a very powerful body-slammer…. I swear!
You wouldn’t want to imagine being one of the men on the list of contenders. To have emerged as the winner, Senator Lekan would have whammed their backs against the hard red mud of Ibadan – making each one of them scream like banshees with one hand raised to the heavens beckoning obatala’s intervention. He would have pulled each one of them by the hair all over the roofs of the city of rusted zinc, and make their bodies bounce like live fishes thrown into a pan filled with boiling palm oil……epo pupa.
To become the chosen one Senator Lekan himself would have taken some body-slamming himself – and maybe countered with spiritual punches of his own… one of the hallmarks of a king.
They have said that this Lekan Balogun fellow is a business man and currently serving on boards of several companies – in Oil and Gas, Management Consulting, Travels and Tourism, Mechanized Farming, Distributive Trade and Export of non-oil items.
He was also a Research Fellow at the Ahmadu Bello University in Kano.
Now one interesting thing that no one has mentioned in all the articles written about him as he has emerged as the likely next Olubadan is that Senator Lekan Balogun is approaching his 80th birthday at the speed of light.
The question Federal Character is asking those who would know is: Shouldn’t age be a factor in selecting the next Olubadan or any traditional ruler at that?
Please let us know your opinion in the comment box below.
