Former Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has warned the Oyo State Government against any attempt to dethrone the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
He said such a move could trigger unrest across the state.
Igboho issued the warning in a video shared on Friday, declaring that any governor who attempts to remove the monarch would face resistance.
He questioned why anyone would consider dethroning Ladoja, whom he described as an indigene of Oyo State deserving of respect.
“They will declare a state of emergency. If any governor tries it, it is from Soka here that this state would be shaking. Why will you remove Olubadan? All of us are from Oyo State,” he said.
The agitator also reacted to rumours that some individuals were planning to ambush the monarch, warning that nobody should attempt to attack Ladoja at his residence or anywhere else.
He said he had assured the Olubadan that he could sleep without fear, insisting that nobody would be allowed to enter his residence to intimidate him.
The controversy surrounding Ladoja’s position began in April when former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, alleged that Governor Seyi Makinde was plotting to dethrone the monarch because he failed to attend the planned coronation of high chiefs in Ibadan.
However, the Oyo State Government dismissed the allegation at the time. The Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said the government had neither considered nor discussed removing the Olubadan.
The latest warning comes amid renewed attention to traditional institutions in Oyo State, following a separate dispute over the purported removal of the Balogun of Ogbomoso, Dr Saka Adegbite Balogun.
In a statement dated October 23, 2026, the Oyo State Government declared that Balogun remained the recognised Balogun of Ogbomoso, dismissing his reported removal by the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ademola Ojo, said the purported removal was contrary to the provisions of the state’s Chiefs Law.
According to the commissioner, Section 26(1) of the Chiefs Law of Oyo State, 2000, vests the power to appoint, suspend and depose a Part II recognised chieftaincy holder exclusively in the state governor.
He described the purported removal as an aberration and urged members of the public to disregard it, maintaining that Balogun remained the duly recognised holder of the title.
Meanwhile, the Olubadan recently received members of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC), who visited his palace in Ibadan to seek royal blessings for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The delegation, led by the council’s Director-General, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, included some governors who are members of the campaign council. The team also visited the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade.
Speaking at the Olubadan’s Oke Aremo palace, Yari said the visits were necessary because of the importance of traditional rulers to the country’s political and social development.
He said President Tinubu had directed the council to visit traditional rulers across the country as part of its efforts to secure support for his re-election in 2027.
Yari added that the council intended to campaign on the Tinubu administration’s record, claiming that its achievements across different sectors had made the task of seeking another term easier.
In his response, Ladoja thanked the campaign council for recognising the role of traditional institutions and commended the Tinubu administration’s contributions to the country’s socio-economic development.
The monarch also expressed confidence in Tinubu’s popularity, saying the president would retain public support even if he contested the election as an independent candidate.
Ladoja said his main takeaway from the campaign council’s inauguration was Tinubu’s instruction that the council should approach its assignment as a campaign for a presidential candidate rather than an incumbent president.
The Olubadan had previously declared support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
