Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has extended warm congratulations to Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan, ahead of his coronation scheduled for Friday in the Oyo State capital.
In a message released on Wednesday, September 24, by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo praised the new monarch with the Yoruba royal blessing, “Ade a pe lori, bata a pe lese.”
He remarked that while the coronation ceremony was significant, it merely formalised a role Ladoja had already assumed.
Speaking from New York, where he is attending the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the former president urged the new Olubadan to distinguish tradition from politics.
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He noted that the throne requires humility, wisdom, patience, and tolerance.
Obasanjo said, “I take this opportunity to congratulate you in advance of a formal announcement. Ade a pe lori, bata a pe lese. It is an exalted and responsible position to be the traditional ruler of all Ibadan people.
“It requires humility, patience, divine wisdom, tolerance, and advice from wide and varied quarters to succeed.
“Traditional rulership does not compete or conflict with political rulership. I wish you all the best and the grace, guide, and direction of Almighty God.”