Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, is brimming with excitement and anticipation as the people prepare for the installation of Oba Rashidi Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland today.
The weeklong programme of activities for the historic event reaches its climax with the coronation ceremony.
Ladoja, who turned 81 yesterday, is a businessman, former senator, and ex-governor of Oyo State. Having risen through the ranks of the Olubadan chieftaincy hierarchy, he now assumes the throne.
His nomination as Olubadan followed the passing of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin on July 7, just two days after the late monarch’s 90th birthday.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who has been on his annual vacation, was expected back in Ibadan on Thursday to present the Staff of Office to Oba Ladoja at the historic Mapo Hall, venue of the coronation.
Already, dignitaries and well-wishers have begun arriving in the city ahead of the ceremony.
Major roads—including Iwo Road, Mokola, Ring Road, Challenge, Sango, Eleyele, Molete, Apata, Akala Road, Akobo, and Bashorun—are decorated with billboards carrying Ladoja’s photographs and congratulatory messages from corporate bodies, associations, and individuals.
The city is alive with the sounds of sirens, as convoys ferry guests to hotels across Ibadan. Traffic officers of the State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) have been strategically deployed to major junctions, while police and other security agencies are stationed across the metropolis to maintain order.
Preparations also included the reopening of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan on Wednesday, after upgrades. The airport will receive President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and other top dignitaries expected for the event.
The Organising Committee, headed by Chief Bayo Oyero, a former President of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), announced that markets across the metropolis would be closed today in honour of the coronation.
In addition, the Oyo State Police Command confirmed the closure of some adjoining roads around Mapo Hall to ease traffic flow during the ceremony, advising motorists to use alternative routes.