The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and the APC Presidential Candidate for the 2023 General Elections, Bola Tinubu, are set to celebrate the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, at an exclusive Yoruba leader’s event on Sunday, 19 June, 2022.
Osinbajo is to be the Keynote Speaker, while Bola Tinubu is expected as the Special Guest of Honour, at the event coming up in the University of Ibadan, under the Chairmanship of former governor Rasidi Ladoja.
The programme, being put together by the Yoruba World Centre to formally introduce the new monarch to the larger Yoruba community, by presenting him to Yoruba lords of business, politics, administration and traditions, would be hosted by the Governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde.
Commenting on the development, the Coordinator of the Yoruba World Centre, Ogbeni Alao Adedayo, said the intention of the group was use the event to serve two purposes.
He noted that the earlier plan was to celebrate the new Olubadan among Yoruba traditional rulers and other leaders, and had thus invited both the Vice President and Asiwaju Tinubu.
He stated: “But we later realised that these two foremost political and government leaders from our own side here had just come out of a competition which generated lots of misunderstandings among our people, so we intensified efforts to ensure their presence for rapprochement, and we are glad to say they shall be with us on that day.
“We are not inviting them for politics, therefore, no politics will be allowed on the occasion. It is for them and other respected personalities to come and relax, enjoy the arts and culture of their own people, look at ways to make this culture become a tool for national unity, beneficial co-existence, youth development and empowerment.”
Adedayo said the group was glad that the duo of Osinbajo and Tinubu would be on the ground to celebrate with the new Olubadan and the Yoruba people.
Oba Balogun was crowned on March 11, 2022, and Sunday, 19th June, 2022, marks his 100 days in office, thus the Yoruba World Centre, in collaboration with the Oyo State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and Tunde Odunlade Arts Gallery, has planned a huge celebration for the monarch.
Lateefah Ibrahim
