The newly installed Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has urged President Bola Tinubu to support the creation of Ibadan state before 2027.
Ladoja made the appeal on Friday, September 26, during his coronation as the 44th Olubadan, telling the gathering that the call for a new state represented the long-standing wish of the Ibadan people.
In a humorous moment, the monarch asked the crowd of residents and citizens present at the event to rise and thank the president for “accepting” their demand.
“I thank God that Ibadan is the home of Yoruba people. I usually tell people that any Yoruba person who does not have a house in Ibadan is not yet a Yoruba,” Ladoja said in Yoruba.
“I know that the president has a house in Ibadan. When they said Ladoja will be crowned as Olubadan, everyone in Ibadan was very happy.
“But they (Ibadan people) asked me to deliver a message to the president that their desire is to have Ibadan state.
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“Ibadan people, is that not the message? If that is the message, please stand up and appreciate the president. We don’t have a problem with the national assembly. The president has accepted.
“I know that if Tinubu will create a single state, it will be Ibadan state. Mr President, we are in a hurry for Ibadan state, we want it before 2027.”
Responding at the ceremony, President Tinubu thanked Nigerians for enduring the hardship brought by his administration’s reforms, assuring them that the country’s economy was improving.
“Today, I am honoured and very proud to give you the cheering news that the economy has turned the corner; there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel,” Tinubu said.
“Your suffering is a pain of a painful surgery, but it has returned to the moment of growth and prosperity that is awaiting us. Thank you for perseverance, endurance, and understanding.”
Currently, the National Assembly is working on constitutional amendments, which include proposals for 31 new states, among them Ibadan state.
However, state creation remains one of the most complex constitutional processes. Since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, no new state has been created, and the president alone cannot approve one.