By JKNewsMedia
JUST TWO days after marking his 90th birthday, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland, has passed away.
The monarch died in the early hours of Monday, one year after officially receiving his staff of office from Governor Seyi Makinde on July 12, 2024.
Born into the Okugbaja family in Ita Baale, Olakulehin came from the military line of succession and assumed the revered traditional role following the death of Oba Olalekan Balogun, who died at 81 after a two-year reign.
The Olubadan stool operates on a rotational basis between civil and military lines, and his death signals a return to the civil line for the next succession.
His ascension to the throne followed traditional protocols, and although his health sparked speculation earlier this year, the state government dismissed reports of his death at the time.
As tradition dictates, the next in line is expected to be Rashidi Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State and current Otun Olubadan, who is among the 11 high chiefs on the succession ladder.
Oba Olakulehin’s demise brings to a close a brief but significant chapter in Ibadan’s royal history.
