By SUNDAY DARE

On Friday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu turns his gaze south-westward to the sprawling city of Ibadan. Over two years since his assumption of office, this is the President?s first berth in Ibadan, the political and spiritual capital of the Yoruba nation. Just as Kaduna spoke to his national reach barely a week ago, Ibadan speaks to his South West base. It is a return not merely to a city, but to a crucible of Yoruba identity, politics, and destiny.

Ibadan is no ordinary city. It is the heartbeat of Yoruba politics and identity, a vast urban sprawl steeped in tradition, intellect, and culture. Here, history drips from every corner ? from Mapo Hall, where nationalist firebrands once roused the masses, to Cocoa House, the towering emblem of the Western Region?s prosperity and vision.

Ibadan was the capital of the old Western Region, the epicentre of progressive leadership from where Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his contemporaries presided over the affairs of the region with revolutionary zeal and pioneered free education, agricultural revolutions, and industrial transformation. To the Yoruba, Ibadan is both fortress and fountain ? a city where politics is born, nurtured, and projected onto the national stage.

It is into this arena of weighty symbolism that the President arrived to witness the crowning of Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland. The Olubadan stool is unlike any other in Yorubaland ? a uniquely structured succession line that embodies the Yoruba love of order, merit, and patience. That Tinubu will stand in solidarity with the people at such a sacred moment is itself a reaffirmation of his bond with tradition and with the Yoruba nation.

In ibadan. Tradition met power. Serving South West Governors showed up from Oyo, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo. Former Governors and Political heavy weights also showed up. The Sultan of Sokoto and very prominent Yoruba first class monarchs from the Alafin to the Soun and of course Oba Elegushi of Lagos.

Politics Without Bitterness: Tinubu and Ladoja

The crowning of Rasheed Ladoja as Olubadan carries a personal resonance for President Tinubu. Two decades ago, when then President Olusegun Obasanjo orchestrated Ladoja?s illegal impeachment in 2006, using only a handful of lawmakers, it was Tinubu ? then Governor of Lagos ? who stood against that brazen assault on democracy.

Ladoja, hounded from his office by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo and denied justice, found sanctuary in Lagos. President Tinubu not only gave him refuge but also lent him the courage and political cover to resist. Against the odds, with President Tinubu?s backing, Ladoja fought his way back through the courts, and the judiciary eventually restored him to power.

This bond, forged in the fire of political persecution and resilience, now finds symbolic closure in Ibadan. Tinubu did not arrive merely as President; he arrived as an old ally, standing with the Olubadan Senator Ladoja on the day of his ultimate elevation to the Olubadan throne.

At the Event on Friday at the historic Mapo hall, President Tinubu made remarkable revelation reminiscent of the Abeokuta ?Emilokan? declaration. He described the ascension of Oba Ladoja to the throne of his forebears as another ?emilokan? moment. The message was not lost. Just as the comparison was obvious. His journey to be olubadan took him 33 years to climb on the long succession ladder just like the President?s journey to the Presidency: the fight for democracy, the sacrifices , the people he built, the many twists and turns and eventually now, the Presidency.

Ibadan was also significant on the coronation day. From the hills of Mapo, President Bola Tinubu delivered a powerful political message of renewed hope. ?Today, I am honoured to bring the cheering news that our economy has turned around and there is now light at the end of the tunnel?? Coming from the Commander-in-Chief, the man who knows and calls the shots, it was an important message. It was a validation of the reforms mantra of this administration and the positive impacts of the reforms.

The Political Capital of the Yoruba Nation

Ibadan represents more than just politics; it is spirit and identity. It has produced poets, warriors, intellectuals, and statesmen whose reach extended far beyond Yoruba land. In every era, Ibadan has stood as the Yoruba voice in Nigeria?s political orchestra. From the days of Adegoke Adelabu?s fiery ?penkelemesi? populism to the statesmanship of Lam Adesina and the reformist zeal of governors like Ladoja himself, Ibadan has set the rhythm of Yoruba political expression.

President Tinubu?s presence at the coronation of Olubadan therefore carries the weight of cultural affirmation. It tells a people that their heritage matters at the highest levels of power, and that the leader of the nation stands not above tradition, but within it.

Politics of Bridges, Not Walls

Like Kaduna in the north, Ibadan has been the crucible of alignments and re-alignments in the south-west. It was here that old rivalries found resolution and fresh alliances were born, shaping the destiny of the Yoruba within the federation. The President?s return to this theatre of history is a reminder that politics is not about conquest but connection; not about drawing lines, but building bridges.

For the Yoruba political elite, Tinubu?s presence is validation ? proof that the son of Lagos remains attuned to the heartbeat of his cultural kin, even as he governs the entire federation. For ordinary Ibadan people, it is a reassurance that their President, despite the burdens of national office, has not forgotten the city that remains the Yoruba axis of history and destiny.

The city of Ibadan was on lockdown. The streets lined with excited Oyo citizens and Nigerians welcoming and cheering on President Tinubu. To Mr. President, Oyo State resounded loud and clear ? ?Ekaabo o?.

Ibadan as a Metaphor for Yoruba Political Ascendancy

Ibadan?s genius has always been its ability to marry tradition with progress, culture with politics, history with modernity. Its monarchy is as revered as its intellectual traditions. Its politics, though fiercely competitive, has often found equilibrium in Yoruba solidarity. President Tinubu?s visit, then, is not just ceremonial. It is a subtle but profound embrace of this heritage ? a signal that his politics remains grounded in the values of loyalty, patience, and cultural continuity that the Yoruba hold dear.

The Significance of the Moment

In Kaduna, Tinubu broke myths and dissolved doubts, receiving resounding political validation. In Ibadan, he is set to affirm cultural solidarity, pay homage to tradition, and consolidate his role as both President of Nigeria and a proud son of the Yoruba nation. The crowning of Rasheed Ladoja as Olubadan provides the perfect canvas for this: a celebration of continuity, loyalty, and unity.

And just as Kaduna reminded Nigeria of northern political sophistication, Ibadan now offers the world a lesson in Yoruba resilience, heritage, and leadership. In Ibadan, loyalty will meet tradition, politics will embrace culture, and history will come full circle. And in that convergence, Tinubu?s leadership will be reaffirmed once more ? not by force of power, but by the enduring power of friendship, loyalty, sacrifice and heritage.

?Dare (CON) is Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication.

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