Oyo 2027: Ladoja denies opposing aspirants outside Ibadan

Adejayan Gbenga –

Olubadan-designate, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has dismissed claims that he is opposed to governorship aspirants from other zones of Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections.

Ladoja clarified his position on Friday when a delegation of politicians and prominent figures from Oke-Ogun, in the Oyo North Senatorial District, paid him a courtesy visit at his Bodija residence in Ibadan.

He explained that while Ibadan holds numerical strength in determining election outcomes, candidates from other zones could succeed if they engage in proper negotiations and build alliances with Ibadan leaders and voters.

The Olubadan-designate pointed out that leaders like the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Bola Ige, who were not Ibadan indigenes, still contributed significantly to the development of the city while serving as premier and governor, respectively.

He recalled that during his time as governor, he had planned for his deputy, the late Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala from Ogbomoso, to succeed him. According to him, this arrangement was intended to ensure that other zones in the state would also benefit from the governorship position in turn.

“It is the quality of the person that should matter. Other zones must give us somebody we can support, trust, and rely upon to deliver,” Ladoja said.

Members of the Oke-Ogun delegation—including former Lagos Commissioner Dr. Ismail Adewusi, former Oyo Commissioner Mr. Adebayo Olagbenro, former Deputy Governor Chief Iyiola Oladokun, and Chief Isaac Koleoso—praised Ladoja’s leadership qualities and prayed for his success as the next Olubadan.

They described him as a just and experienced leader whose wide political, economic, and social networks would help foster peace, unity, and development in both Ibadanland and Oyo State as a whole.