Olubadan of Ibadanland, Lekan Balogun Is Dead
The 42nd Olubadan of Ibadan Land, HRM Oba Moshood Olalekan Balogun, is dead. He was aged 82.
His Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in a statement on Thursday confirmed the monarch’s death, saying, “The passing of Oba Dr. Balogun marks the end of an era for Ibadanland leaving behind a profound void in its rich history and heritage.”
Oyo State governor, Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde, described the late monarch as a towering figure akin to an Iroko tree.
He wrote, “With total submission to the will of God, I announce the passing unto glory of our father, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland.
“A mighty Iroko has fallen; Oba Balogun has joined the ancestors.
“In Kabiyesi, Ibadanland had a cosmopolitan and well-experienced Olubadan, who made indelible marks on the sands of history and achieved greatly within a short while.
“On behalf of the government and good people of the state, I condole with the immediate family of the Oba Balogun, the Olubadan-in-Council, the state Traditional Council and the people of Ibadanland. It is my prayer that God grants repose to the soul of our late monarch.”
“The passing of Oba Dr. Balogun marks the end of an era for Ibadanland, leaving behind a profound void in its rich history and heritage,” he added.
Born in 1942, Oba Balogun, who was a Fourth Republic Senator, represented Oyo Central senatorial district between 1999 and 2003.
He ascended the throne on March 11, 2022, after the demise of Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Oguguniso III. Adetunji, 93, had died on January 2, 2022, after reigning from March 4, 2016.
With the unique succession system of Olubadan stool, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, the current Balogun Olubadan of Ibadan, who is next in line, will be officially announced after the traditional 21 days of mourning, as the next Olubadan of Land.
