Ladoja is scheduled to mark his 81st birthday on Thursday, September 25, 2025, before his coronation as the 44th Olubadan the following day, Friday, September 26. The two events are expected to make the period particularly significant for the ancient city.
His emergence follows the death of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, on July 7, 2025. Ladoja, who was then the Otun Olubadan and the most senior chief in the civil line, became the next in line under Ibadan’s traditional succession system.
Beyond the political office he once occupied, Ladoja’s journey has taken him through engineering, business, politics and more than three decades of traditional chieftaincy progression.
Here are 20 notable facts about the man set to ascend the revered Olubadan throne.
1. He rose through the Ibadan chieftaincy hierarchy
Ladoja’s journey to the Olubadan throne did not begin with his emergence as Olubadan-designate. He spent more than three decades moving through the established Ibadan chieftaincy hierarchy, eventually attaining the position of Otun Olubadan in 2024.
2. He was born on September 25, 1944
Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja was born on September 25, 1944, in Gambari, Ibadan, Oyo State. He was born into the family of Alhaji Aruna Ladoja and Alhaja Haleemat Ladoja.
3. His educational journey took him to Belgium
Ladoja attended Ibadan Boys High School between 1958 and 1963 before proceeding to Olivet Baptist High School, where he completed his Higher School Certificate programme. He later travelled to Belgium and studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Liège.
4. He once dropped out of secondary school
Ladoja’s early years were not without difficulties. Reports about his life indicate that he temporarily left Ibadan Boys High School after his parents could not afford his boarding fees. He eventually returned to school and continued his education.
5. He trained as a chemical engineer
Ladoja earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Liège, Belgium. His professional training later became the foundation for a career that moved from corporate employment into private business and eventually politics.
6. He spent 13 years with Total Nigeria
After completing his education, Ladoja began his professional career with Total Nigeria, where he worked in different capacities for about 13 years before venturing into private business in 1985.
7. His business interests went beyond engineering
After leaving corporate employment, Ladoja developed business interests in several sectors, including shipping, manufacturing, agriculture, banking and transportation. His business career preceded his major political engagements.
8. He was a senator during the Third Republic
Before becoming governor, Ladoja served as a senator representing Oyo South during Nigeria’s short-lived Third Republic. His political career therefore predates his emergence as one of Oyo State’s most prominent political figures.
9. He became governor of Oyo State in 2003
Ladoja was elected governor of Oyo State in 2003 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He remained in office until his controversial impeachment in January 2006.
10. His impeachment became a major political and legal battle
Ladoja’s removal from office followed a political confrontation with his former political ally, the late Lamidi Adesina Adedibu. The impeachment was later overturned through legal proceedings, paving the way for Ladoja’s return to office before the end of his tenure in 2007.
11. He made several attempts to return to Agodi
After leaving the governor’s office, Ladoja remained active in Oyo State politics. He contested the governorship election under the Accord Party in 2011 and again in 2015, although he was unsuccessful on both occasions.
12. His political journey took him through several parties
Ladoja’s political career has included periods in the Social Democratic Party, PDP, Accord Party, African Democratic Congress and Zenith Labour Party. His movement through different political platforms reflected the changing alliances and political realignments in Oyo State.
13. He was involved in the Ibadan chieftaincy controversy
Ladoja became one of the most prominent opponents of the chieftaincy reforms introduced during the administration of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi. The reforms sought to elevate several traditional chiefs in Ibadan to the status of kings.
Ladoja challenged the changes in court, arguing for the preservation of the traditional Olubadan succession system. The dispute became one of the defining chapters of his journey to the throne.
14. He eventually withdrew the legal challenge
Following the death of Oba Olakulehin and the process leading to Ladoja’s emergence as Olubadan-designate, the long-running legal dispute was withdrawn, helping clear the way for the traditional succession process.
15. He received a ceremonial beaded crown in 2024
On August 12, 2024, Ladoja received a ceremonial beaded crown while serving as Otun Olubadan. The development did not make him Olubadan at the time; his formal installation as the 44th Olubadan was scheduled for September 26, 2025.
16. He is known for his relatively simple dressing style
Despite his long career in business and politics, Ladoja has often been associated with a relatively simple personal style, including his fondness for Ankara outfits.
17. Family remains an important part of his story
Away from the political arena, Ladoja is also a family man. His public life has often been accompanied by the support and presence of members of his family, although he has generally kept many aspects of his private life away from the spotlight.
18. His journey to the throne spans more than three decades
Ladoja’s emergence did not happen overnight. His progression through Ibadan’s traditional hierarchy took decades, with the system’s seniority-based structure eventually placing him in the position of Otun Olubadan before the death of Oba Olakulehin activated his succession.
19. He is combining political experience with traditional leadership
By the time of his expected coronation, Ladoja had already served as a senator, governor, businessman and senior traditional chief. His background therefore places him at the intersection of politics, commerce and traditional leadership.
20. He is set to make history in Ibadan
At 81, Ladoja is poised to add another major chapter to an already eventful public career by ascending the throne of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
From chemical engineering and corporate employment to business, politics and the traditional institution, his journey has been marked by several significant transitions.
If the coronation proceeds as scheduled, he will be formally installed on Friday, September 26, 2025, as His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Arusa I, the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Credit: City People
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