The Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Olushola Alao, has assured Oyo State governor, Oluseyi Makinde that he and other members of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs are behind Makinde, and will give enough support to the new chairman, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
The monarch gave the assurance while hosting the governor in his palace at Orile-Igbon on Friday, January 16, 2026.
Some other traditional rulers in Surulere Local Government joined the Olugbon to welcome Makinde to the palace.
Oba Alao, who thanked the governor for the visit, assured that Oba Ladoja will enjoy the support of members of the council across the five zones in the state which include Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa.
The monarch, who is the deputy chairman of the obas council, said: “Your Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, we appreciate you for coming here. And I will like to take this opportunity to explain that the government has done what is needful on the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs. We are in support of the decision.
“Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs has now been re-inaugurated. And we have a new chairman in the person of His Excellency, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadan.
“I want to assure Your Excellency that we are all one in the council. We are united across the five zones – Ogbomoso, Ibadan, Oyo, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa. People can say things, but we are members of one united family.”
Responding, the governor said: “I came here over what happened in Oloka Community. I have visited there, and I assured them that their government will not fail them. The people own this government. I am also assuring the people of Surulere Local Government and everyone in Ogbomoso Zone that development projects will spread across all the five local governments in Ogbomoso Zone. I only ask for your cooperation.”
The traditional rulers that joined the Olugbon included the Onpetu of Ijeru, Oba Sunday Oyediran; Aresaapa of Iresaapa, Oba Moses Ajiboye; Aranyin of Iranyin, Oba Lasisi Olagbemileke; Olujado of Ijado, Oba Hammed Adegbile and Iba Abogunde Tajudeen Aminullahi.
Olugbon stressed the need for the traditional system to embrace contemporary reality, saying empires have given way to new power structures globally.
He stated: “The world is not static but dynamic in nature. In the past centuries, there were the Roman, French and British empires which ruled the world. But looking at today’s world order the United States, Russia and emerging China are the leading powerful nations.
“The system we are operating in Nigeria is not monarchy. I implore all traditional rulers across the state to cooperate with the government of the day.
“There is no perfection in decisions of government. We just need deeper understanding of our collective will in entrenching good governance, promoting economic development, security and peaceful co existence in our dear state. Modernity has restructured the governance system in Nigeria.”
It will be recalled that Governor Makinde re-inaugurated the council of obas on Thursday, January 15, with the Olubadan of Ibadan Oba Ladoja as its chairman.
He will serve a tenure of two years.
Prior to the Thursday inauguration, the council had been held down by litigation for 15 years.
