By Atoyebi Nike
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, has passed away at the age of 90, marking the end of a brief but symbolic reign as the paramount ruler of one of Yorubaland’s most prestigious traditional thrones.
Sources within the Olubadan-In-Council confirmed the monarch’s death in the early hours of Monday, during ongoing celebrations for his 90th birthday and first coronation anniversary. Oba Olakulehin ascended the throne following the death of his predecessor, Oba Lekan Balogun.
A palace insider disclosed that while the ruler’s passing has been acknowledged internally, an official announcement from the Oyo State Government is still awaited.
Attention now turns to succession, with Otun Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja a former governor of Oyo State being next in line. However, he is currently out of the country, and palace sources expect his immediate return to begin formal succession processes. “He must have been briefed,” another palace source confirmed.
The death of Oba Olakulehin brings a close to a reign that symbolized continuity and cultural heritage for Ibadan land and sets the stage for the next chapter in its revered traditional leadership.
