Igboho warns against plot to dethrone Olubadan

By Adejayan Gbenga

Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has warned that Oyo State could experience unrest if any attempt is made to remove the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, from the throne.

Igboho issued the warning in a video shared by local media platform Oyo Affairs on Friday, amid allegations of a plot to dethrone the monarch. He warned that any governor who attempted to remove Ladoja would face resistance, insisting that the traditional ruler must be allowed to occupy his throne without intimidation.

“They will declare a state of emergency. If any governor tries it, it is from Soka here that this state would be shaking,” he said, questioning why anyone would contemplate removing Ladoja, whom he described as an indigene of Oyo State deserving of respect.

Igboho also reacted to claims that there were plans to waylay or ambush the monarch, warning that such talk must not translate into action. He said nobody should attempt to attack Ladoja, either at his residence or elsewhere.

“When someone told me that they said they were going to waylay Olubadan, I said no one dare try such. It should remain a gossip. You cannot go and ambush him. Even when he is not yet Olubadan, you dare not, not to talk of now that he is on that seat,” he said.

The agitator further warned that anyone who attempted to harm the monarch would face consequences, adding that he had personally assured Ladoja of his safety. “I have told Olubadan, ‘Baba, sleep and snore. There is no one that can come and meet you in your house. We are all indigenes of Oyo State. May Olubadan live long,” he said.

The controversy over Ladoja’s position dates back to April 2026, when former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose alleged that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde was planning to remove the monarch. The state government denied the allegation, with the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, saying the administration had neither considered nor discussed such a move. Ladoja’s media aide, Adeola Oloko, also dismissed reports of a rift between the governor and the monarch.

The controversy later widened amid separate allegations concerning the monarch’s alleged involvement in political discussions over the state’s governorship succession. Ladoja denied involvement in a plot to impeach Makinde, while the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, said on April 17 that Ibadan elders had intervened in the reported disagreement. Ajibola urged the Olubadan to remain above partisan politics and serve as a father figure to politicians across party lines.