Life, times of Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Olalekan Balogun

For the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Olalekan Balogun, who breathed his last in the evening of Thursday, 14 March, at the famous University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo state, the journey to stardom started in childhood with a clear cut vision to acquire education as one of the prerequisites for a purposeful life.

Right from his early life through adulthood, he exhibited intelligence and demonstrated capacity and leadership traits, which saw him through his life trajectory as an academic, politician of note and ultimately, a revered monarch.

Hence, his passage has triggered a deluge of tributes, eulogies and solidarity messages from the government circle, prominent Nigerians and critical stakeholders in the country, most especially from the South-west part of the country.

Early life

He was born into the Aliiwo family of Ibadan on 18 October 1942. His late father, Ibrahim Balogun, was a foremost cocoa produce merchant and a great-grandson of Balogun Okunmade (Ali-Iwo), an Ogbomoso prince, who settled in the present-day Aliiwo compound, Agodi Ibadan in 1863. This was after years of valiant war campaigns for Ibadan/Yoruba armies

His late mother was, Awawu Balogun, the Iyalode elepo pupa, who was then the woman leader of the Palm Oil Dealers Association of Lagelu Local Government Area of the present Oyo State.

Oba Balogun, an astute politician, with a PhD in economics, was the most educated Olubadan in history. He travelled to the United Kingdom, where he studied for his O and A level certificates while doing a part-time job to sustain himself.

Upon completion of his O and A level programmes, Oba Olalekan Balogun proceeded to Brunel University in the United Kingdom. He left the university in 1973 with a master’s degree in Administration and Economics. He then had a brief stint with the Lambeth Local Government Social Services Department, where he worked for one-and-a-half years after which his academic inclination took the better of him and he enrolled for his PhD.

An alumnus of the University of Manchester in the UK, he was also a research fellow of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, upon his return from his sojourn in Britain. From there, he was employed in the Industrial Public Relations department of Shell BP, the British petroleum exploration firm and subsequently became the head of recruitment and scholarship of the organisation.

A prolific writer, activist and scholar of immense repute, the late paramount ruler of Ibadanland authored books, which include: A Review of Nigeria’s 4 Year Development Plan 1970-1974, Nigeria: Social Justice or Doom; Power for Sale; Arrogance of Power; Nigeria, The People Must Decide; To Lead is to Serve, and The Portrait of An Activist, among many other publications.

Political stint

Oba Balogun’s entry into the nation’s political turf began in 1983 when he contested the governorship election of the old Oyo state on the platform of the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) against the then-incumbent late governor of Oyo state and later former Minister of Justice, Bola Ige, of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and Omololu Olunloyo, who was the candidate of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

In 1999, he contested and was elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Oyo Central Senatorial District under the banner of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD).

In the Senate, he was the chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning and a member of several committees in the National Assembly, including the Senate Committee on Army. His contribution and feat in the National Assembly were legendary, thus showcasing his wit and intellectual prowess.

Journey to Olubadan Throne

On 1 December 1986, he became the Mogaji of the Aliiwo family compound. Regardless of the intrigues that usually characterised succession to the throne, Oba Olalekan Balogun rose through the rank and file in the Ibadan traditional system to become the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland on 1 January 2017.

He occupied that position till 11 March 2022 when he was elevated to ascend the throne of Olubadan of Ibadan in line with the city’s unique traditional succession system.

The first Olubadan from the Aliiwo compound was Oba Memudu Aliiwo who was crowned in 1952. He was a versatile politician, lover of peace and advocate for the rights of the downtrodden, whose specific goal and vision were for the development of Ibadanland, Oyo State and Nigeria, nay Africa.