From ex-senator to monarch: Profile of late Olubadan, Lekan Balogun

Olubadan of Ibadan land, Lekan Balogun

The 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, died on Thursday, throwing the town into mourning.

He died at 81 at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State,

The monarch, who reigned for two years, will be interred according to Islamic rites today, Friday, March 15, 2024, at his Aliiwo ancestral home in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, announced the passing of the late monarch, saying, “A mighty Iroko has fallen; Oba Balogun has joined the ancestors.”

On Monday, the deceased celebrated his second anniversary on the throne as he thanked members of his advisory council for their unflinching support.

In this piece, PUNCH Online highlights 10 things to know about the late monarch:

He was born Olalekan Balogun on October 18, 1942, in the Ali-Iwo compound, present-day Ibadan North East Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. Upon completion of his O- and A-level programmes, Balogun obtained Doctorate, Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Public Administration, Public and Social Administration, and Economics. He attended Columbus International University and Manchester University in the United Kingdom. Balogun worked as a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State; as Editor of the monthly magazine, The Nigerian Pathfinder, and as a Director with Triumph Newspaper, Kano State. He was a management consultant for multinational organisations such as Leyland, Exide Battery, and Nigerian Breweries. Balogun worked with Shell British Petroleum Company where he rose to the position of Administrator/Head, Industrial Relations, Recruitment and Scholarships, Planning and Development units. The late Alli Okunmade II represented the Oyo Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly between 1999 and 2003, where he served as the chairman of the Senate Committee on National Planning. He was a former governorship candidate of the defunct Nigeria People’s Party, In his lifetime, Balogun wrote and published several publications including ‘A Review of Nigeria’s 4 years Development Plan, 1970–1974’; ‘Social Justice or Doom’; ‘Power for Sale’; and ‘Arrogance of Power.’ Balogun was crowned the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on March 11, 2022, after he succeeded his predecessor, the late Oba Saliu Adetunji,

Ajisafe Olayiwola

Ajisafe has over four-year experience publishing politics, business, sports, entertainment, education and health stories.

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