By Abiola Olawale
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin, who passed away on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90.
The revered monarch, who ascended the throne as the 43rd Olubadan on July 12, 2024, died just two days after celebrating his 90th birthday.
Makinde, while receiving a delegation from the Olakulehin family at the State Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, described the monarch’s death as a significant loss to Ibadanland in particular and Oyo State in general.
The delegation, led by Chief Bayo Oyero, former President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), included the late monarch’s younger brother, Osuolale Owolabi Olakulehin, and his son, Aremo Olasumbo Owolabi.
Makinde stated: “I commiserate with the family and all of us. The government will stay with the family and play whatever roles we are supposed to play, including giving Kabiyesi a befitting burial.
“I will ask all the members of the family to take heart. Coincidentally, today marks the 13th year since my father passed on. So, for the immediate family, I pray for strength.
“We don’t always want them to go; we want them to stay with us. But God has designed our bodies for a certain period.”
Recall that the revered traditional ruler died in Ibadan in the early hours of Monday, according to a family account.
