Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has officially received news of the passing of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, and has pledged full state support for the royal family during their time of grief.
Oba Olakulehin, who died in the early hours of Monday at age 90, was commemorating his 90th birthday and the first anniversary of his coronation at the time of his passing. He succeeded the late Oba Lekan Balogun as the revered monarch of Ibadanland.
The governor was formally informed of the monarch’s death by a family delegation that included the former President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) and Aare Mayegun of Ibadanland, Chief Bayo Oyero, the monarch’s younger brother, Osuolale Olakulehin, and his son, Olasumbo Owolabi.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Governor Makinde expressed deep sorrow and extended condolences to the family and people of Ibadanland, assuring them that the state would give the late monarch a befitting state burial.
“We don’t always want them to go; we want them to stay with us. But God has designed our bodies for a certain period of time,” the governor said. “The government will definitely stay with the family and play whatever roles we are supposed to play.”
He added a personal note, recalling that July 7 also marks the 13th anniversary of his own father’s death. “I ask all members of the family to take heart. For the immediate family, I pray for strength.”
Speaking on behalf of the royal family, Chief Oyero thanked Governor Makinde for his unwavering support before and after Oba Olakulehin’s coronation.
“We are here this morning with gratitude to God and to formally inform you of the passing away of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Frederick Owolabi Olakulehin, Ige Olakulehin I,” Oyero said. “In spite of the controversial situation we had before he ascended the throne, you still approved his ascension and supported the historic coronation ceremony.”
Oba Olakulehin’s passing has left a profound void in Ibadan’s traditional institution, and tributes continue to pour in from across the state and beyond.
