The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has announced his readiness to personally intervene in the lingering confrontation between Yoruba nation campaigner, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, and the Federal Government of Nigeria. The monarch’s pledge came after a private meeting with the embattled activist, which was held at his Bodija residence in Ibadan.
The parley, confirmed through a statement from Igboho’s media office, stretched for close to forty minutes on Monday and was described as both strategic and conciliatory. Discussions were said to have centered not only on Igboho’s ongoing legal and political travails but also on the pressing issue of insecurity in the South West, with special attention given to emerging threats by armed groups operating in some parts of Kwara State.
Insiders familiar with the meeting disclosed that Oba Ladoja, who warmly received Igboho and a small group of his associates, assured them that he would take active steps to mediate in the activist’s dispute with the Federal Government. His intervention, according to the source, will focus on addressing the weighty accusations that left Igboho on the government’s wanted list and also led to the freezing of his bank accounts.
The development recalls the turbulent events of 2021 during the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari, when security operatives stormed Igboho’s Soka residence in Ibadan. That raid by the Department of State Services, reinforced by the Nigerian Army, ended in tragedy with two of Igboho’s aides killed and thirteen others taken into custody. Authorities at the time alleged that the activist was stockpiling weapons, a claim he repeatedly denied, yet the consequences of that action have lingered ever since.
During his remarks at the meeting, Igboho expressed deep gratitude to the monarch for the audience granted and congratulated him on his coronation as Olubadan. He described Oba Ladoja as a leader admired far beyond Ibadan and praised his humility, resilience, and record of public service dating back to his tenure as governor of Oyo State. Igboho also reiterated his commitment to working towards peace and cooperation with relevant authorities, underscoring that security remains the cornerstone of development in Yorubaland and Nigeria at large.
In his words, the activist stressed that Kabiyesi’s leadership would play a pivotal role in promoting unity and ensuring that Yoruba land continues to enjoy relative peace in the face of threats. He emphasized that his loyalty to his people and his respect for the institution of the Olubadan remain unshaken, even as he continues to battle the weight of state sanctions imposed on him.
The meeting has sparked fresh discussions among political watchers and Yoruba leaders, with many seeing Oba Ladoja’s move as a potential turning point in Igboho’s standoff with the authorities. For now, the monarch’s promise of intervention appears to signal a new phase in what has been one of the most controversial political sagas in recent Nigerian history.
