Olusegun Adeyemo
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has described Ibadan as a city that is “very strategic and central to the political, social, and economic development of Nigeria.”
Obi made the remark during a courtesy visit to the Olubadan-designate, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, at his Bodija residence in Ibadan on Sunday.
He was accompanied by key associates, including Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s 2023 governorship candidate in Lagos, and Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement.
Speaking during the visit, Obi said he came to pay homage to the Olubadan-designate, stressing that Ladoja’s wealth of experience as a former senator, governor, and business tycoon would help him steer Ibadan to enviable heights.
“The visit is about Nigeria, selfless leadership, leadership that is committed to turning our society around. Ibadan is very strategic and central to the development of Nigeria,” Obi said.
He also highlighted Ibadan’s enduring role in education, noting that the University of Ibadan has trained generations of Nigerians who have excelled across diverse fields.
Responding, Oba Ladoja, insisted that many people wrongly see the throne as one of glamour, whereas it is fundamentally about service to humanity.
Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State, urged Mogajis (family heads) in Ibadan to reconnect with their ancestral compounds to mentor younger generations and provide guidance.
“I see my appointment as Olubadan as another opportunity to serve humanity. Many people erroneously believe the throne is for glamour, but the time of glamour is gone. In contemporary times, it is about service — what do you have on the table for the people?” he said.
Citing historical lessons, Ladoja reminded the gathering that even great empires once thought indestructible no longer exist. He therefore stressed that traditional institutions must be grounded in service, not ceremony.
The Olubadan-designate added that he is leading by example by renovating his family compound in Isale Osi, Ibadan South West Local Government Area, where he intends to spend time periodically even as king.