Olubadan

Olubadan is the royal title of the king of Ibadanland in Nigeria.

Background

Ibadan was founded in the 16th century, but the present Yoruba people only took control around 1820. By 1850, they had established their unusual succession principle, which is quite different compared with other traditional Yoruba rulers in that it alternates between two lines. It usually takes decades to groom an Olubadan for the stool through stages of chieftaincy promotion, thus meaning that just about any male born title-holder of the metropolitan centre is a potential king.

History

According to the outline history of Ibadan by Oba Isaac Akinyele, Ibadan was founded in the 18th century. Around 1820, an army of Egba, Ijebu, Ife and Oyo people won the town after the collapse of Owu. After a struggle between the victors, the Oyo gained control in 1829. A system where the Baale line and Balogun Isoriki line shared power was established by 1851, subject to a traditional council representing both lines.
In 1885, the Royal Niger Company became the effective rulers of the area, signing treaties with local powers such as the Olubadan, and in 1900, the British government formally assumed authority over Nigeria as a "Protectorate". The British created the Ibadan Town Council in 1897, using the traditionally powerful local chiefs to administer their town. In 1901, the Governor Sir William MacGregor introduced an ordinance whereby the Baale became the president of the Council while the Resident was only to advise when necessary.
On 1 October 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the United Kingdom.

Palace

Following several years of planning and construction, a new palace was inaugurated in July 2024. The new palace complex sits on a six-acre expanse of land situated at Oke Aremo.

Ascension process

Ruling lines and Rotation

There are two ruling lines to the throne of Olubadan, Egbe Agba and Balogun, from where Olubadans are appointed on rotational basis to occupy the stool on the death of a monarch. The next to Olubadan and most senior on both lines are the Otun Olubadan and Balogun, who under the Western Nigeria Law are recognised as second class traditional rulers and who are included on the Nigerian equivalent of a civil list as a result. Others are the Osi Olubadan, Asipa Olubadan, Ekerin and Ekarun, as well as Otun Balogun, Osi Balogun, Asipa Balogun, Ekerin and Ekarun Balogun, while the Seriki and Iyalode, are also members of the Olubadan's privy council.

	Egbe Balogun / Balogun Line / Military Line			Egbe Agba / Otun Line / Civil Line
Step	Title	Current Title Holder	Step	Title	Current Title Holder
23	Balogun	Oba Tajudeen Adesoji Ajibola	22	Otun Olubadan
22	Otun Balogun	Oba Kolawole Adegbola	21	Osi Olubadan	Oba Eddy Oyewole
21	Osi Balogun of Ibadanland	Oba John Olubunmi Isioye-Dada	20	Ashipa Olubadan	Oba Abiodun Kola Daisi
20	Ashipa Balogun	Oba Dauda Abiodun Azeez	19	Ekerin Olubadan	Oba Hamidu Ajibade
19	Ekerin Balogun	Akeem Bolaji Adewoyin	18	Ekarun Olubadan	Oba Adebayo Akande
18	Ekarun Balogun	High Chief Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli	17	Abese Olubadan	Kola Babalola
17	Abese Balogun	Samuel Adegboyega Adeniran	16	Maye Olubadan	Lekan Alabi
16	Maye Balogun	Taiwo Anthony Adebayo Oyekan	15	Ekefa Olubadan	Ismaila Akinade Kilanko Fijabi
15	Ekefa Balogun	Raufu Amusa Eleruwere	14	Agba Akin Olubadan	Saka Fola Lapade
14	Agba Akin Balogun	Emiola Onideure	13	Aare-Alasa Olubadan	Teslim Folarin
13	Aare-Alasa Balogun	Tirimisiyu Arowolo Obisesan	12	Ikolaba Olubadan	Muibi Ademola Adewuyi
12	Ikolaba Balogun	Wasiu Delodun Adegboyega Ajimobi	11	Asaju Olubadan	Raufu Delesolu
11	Asaju Balogun	Senior Chief Mukaila Gbolagade Olawoyin	10	Ayingun Olubadan	Hammed Adetunji Lanihun
10	Ayingun Balogun	Taofeek Ayoade	9	Aare-Ago Olubadan	Dauda Kolawole Gbadamosi
9	Aare-Ago Balogun	Lateef Adetokunbo Akintola	8	Lagunna Olubadan	Williams Oyeleke Akande Oyekola
8	Lagunna Balogun	Nuren Adebayo Akanbi	7	Oota Olubadan	Oluyinka Akande
7	Oota Balogun	Kayode Afolabi Kadelu	6	Aare-Egbe-omo Olubadan	Olufemi Olukorede Ogunwale
6	Aare-Egbe-omo Balogun	Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke	5	Gbonnka Olubadan	Wasiu Aderoju Ajibade Olasunkanmi
5	Gbonnka Balogun	Monsor Abiola Olatunji Arulogun	4	Aare Onibon Olubadan	Olumuyiwa Makinde
4	Aare Onibon Balogun	Taiwo Odunlami Akande	3	Bada Olubadan	Suraju Abiola lyiola
3	Bada Balogun	Ibrahim Remi Babalola	2	Ajia Olubadan	Dotun Sanusi
2	Ajia Balogun	Adenrele Lekan-Salami	1	Jagun Olubadan	Akinola Adekunle Alabi
1	Jagun Balogun	Adewale Abass Kadiri

The civil line hierarchy below the Olubadan proceeds thus:
OLUBADAN
1. Otun
2. Osi
3. Ashipa
4. Ekerin
5. Ekarun
6. Abese
7. Maye
8. Ekefa
9. etc...
The eleven high chiefs that formed the Olubadan-in-council, apart from the Seriki and Iyalode, are recognised as the traditional head of each of the eleven LGs in Ibadanland. It was learned that the progenitors of Ibadan frowned on the involvement of the senior chiefs in partisan politics because of the salient neutral roles they were expected to play in their domains. For instance, they are appointed as presidents of customary courts, who are expected to adjudicate on matrimonial, land, boundary and other communal disputes.

Promotion and Pegging

The Olubadan has the sweeping powers to depose or peg a chief, irrespective of the person's position on the chieftaincy line. By implication, high chiefs on the lower cadre could be promoted above a high chief whose position was pegged. Even when forgiven, in the event that he was penitent, the promotion would not be reversed while the offending high chief served his punishment. For instance, during the reign of Oba Fijabi II, between 1948 and 1952, a wealthy Balogun, who was next to Olubadan, was said to have had his chieftaincy pegged. About the same time, a holder of the title of Osi-Olubadan was also hammered for acts of disloyalty to the cause of Ibadanland, an offence regarded as treasonable felony. Spirited efforts made by a former Minister in the old Western Region to seek redress from the government and the courts when his chieftaincy title was also pegged were reported to have failed. Although he was said to have been forgiven after seeking help outside the courts, his juniors who had been promoted above him were said to have remained his seniors thereafter.
In 1983, the late Olubadan, Oba Yesufu Asanike, withdrew the honorary title of Are Alasa from the then Governor of the old Oyo State, the late Chief Bola Ige, for an act considered as being disrespectful to Ibadanland.

Olubadan-elect and Governor's Approval

On 7 July 2025, it was announced that the 43rd Olubadan Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, had died just two days after celebrating his 90th birthday and after just under one year on the throne. Former Oyo state governor and senator Adewolu Ladoja is set to ascend the throne as the 44th Olubadan after the customary mourning period and coronation rites. Ladoja ascends from Otun Olubadan, a post to which he was promoted in 2024 after the 43rd Olubadan was coronated.
On 21 August 2025, governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, officially approved Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan-designate and slated a formal coronation ceremony for 26 September 2025 at Mapo Hall in the city.

List of Olubadans

Lagelu
Ba'ale Maye Okunade
Ba'ale Oluyedun
Ba'ale Lakanle
Bashorun Oluyole
Ba'ale Oderinlo
Ba'ale Oyeshile Olugbode
Ba'ale Ibikunle*
Bashorun Ogunmola
Ba'ale Akere I
Ba'ale Orowusi
Aare Ona Kakanfo Obadoke Latosa
Ba'ale Ajayi Osungbekun
Ba'ale Fijabi l
Ba'ale Osuntoki
Basorun Fajimi
Ba'ale Mosaderin
Ba'ale Dada Opadere
Ba'ale Sunmonu Apampa
Ba'ale Akintayo Awanibaku Elenpe
Ba'ale Irefin
Ba'ale Shittu Latosa
Ba'ale Oyewole Foko 1925–1929
Olubadan Okunola Abass 1930–1946
Olubadan Akere I 1946
Olubadan Oyetunde I 1946
Olubadan Akintunde Bioku 1947–1948
Olubadan Fijabi II 1948–1952
Olubadan Alli Iwo 1952
Olubadan Apete 1952–1955
Oba Sir Isaac Babalola Akinyele 1955–1964
Oba Yesufu Kobiowu July 1964 – December 1964
Oba Salawu Akanni Aminu 1965–1971
Oba Shittu Akintola Oyetunde II 1971–1976
Oba Gbadamosi Akanbi Adebimpe 1976–1977
Oba Daniel 'Tayo Akinbiyi 1977–1982
Oba Yesufu Oloyede Asanike I 1982–1994
Oba Emmanuel Adegboyega Operinde I 1994–1999
Oba Yunusa Ogundipe Arapasowu I 1999–2007
Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I 2007–2016
Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji 2016–2022
Oba Lekan Balogun 2022–2024
Oba Owolabi Olakulehin 2024–2025
Oba Adewolu Ladoja 2025 -