Senator Olalekan Balogun has ascended the throne of his forebears as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, presented the staff of office to Balogun during the installation ceremony which took place on Friday at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, the state capital.
Governor Makinde had on February 14 approved the selection of Balogun as the 42nd Olubadan.
The governor’s approval came after the Olubadan-in-Council recommended Balogun as the next king.
Balogun succeeds Saliu Adetunji who died on January 2, 2022, at the age of 93.
Dignitaries present at the event included Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president; Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun state; Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti state; Lamidi Adeyemi, Alaafin of Oyo; Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife; Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto.
Oba Senator Dr. Mohood Olalekan Ishola Balogun Alliwo (Alli Okunmade II) was born into the Alliwo family 78 years ago. His late father, Alhaji Ibrahim Balogun was a foremost cocoa produce merchant and a great grandson of Balogun Alli Okunmade (Alli – Iwo), an Ogbomosho Prince who settled in the present Alliwo compound, Agodi Ibadan in 1863 after years of valiant war campaigns for Ibadan/Yoruba armies. His late mother was Alhaja Awawu Adunni Balogun, the Iyalode Elepo pupa, the women leader of Palm Oil Dealers Association of Lagelu Local Government Area.
Dr. Lekan Balogun is an alumnus of Brunel University UK and University of Manchester United Kingdom and he was a Research Fellow of the Ahmadu Bello University ABU Zaria upon his return from sojourn in the United Kingdom. From there he was head-hunted into the industrial relations department of Shell BP, the British petroleum exploration giant. He later became Head of Recruitment and Scholarship of the company.
He is a prolific writer and author of many published books including: A Review of Nigeria’s 4 Year Development Plan 1970-1974; Nigeria: Social Justice or Doom; Power for Sale; Arrogance of Power; Nigeria, The People Must Decide; To Lead is to Serve; and The Portrait of an Activist.
In 1983, he contested the gubernatorial election of the old Oyo State on the platform of the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) against the incumbent Late Governor Bola Ige of UPN and Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo of NPN.
On December 1st 1986 he became the Mogaji of the Alliwo family.
In 1999, he contested and became Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing the Oyo Central Senatorial district on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy AD.
He was the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning and a member of several committees of the Senate. Senator Balogun rose through the ranks in Ibadan traditional system to become the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland on 1 January 2017 until 2nd January 2022 when he was elevated from Otun Olubadan to ascend the throne of Olubadan of Ibadanland in line with the unique Ibadan traditional system.
He is a consummate lover of peace, fighter for the rights of the underprivileged and has a mindset focused on development of the society.
Kabiyesi Oba Lekan Balogun is the second Olubadan of Ibadanland from Alliwo Royal Dynasty. The first Olubadan from the family was Oba Memudu Alliwo, in 1952 (70 years ago).
