The Olubadan-designate, Dr. Lekan Balogun, has supported a process that will allow younger persons to be enthroned as the Olubadan.
The monarch told reporters yesterday during an interaction at his Alarere, Ibadan home, that he spent 36 years before climbing the ladder of the Olubadan.
Hailing the Olubadan succession process, which he said was devoid of rancour, Balogun said a younger person had more energy to work and definitely had the chances of reigning longer on the throne.
He thanked Ibadan indigenes, leaders and stakeholders for supporting the peaceful Olubadan succession process.
Balogun said he had received about one million congratulatory messages from well-wishers through visits, phone calls, text messages and third party channels since he became the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
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Installed as the Mogaji Alliiwo in 1986, Balogun said he climbed the ladder steadily until this time when God made it possible that he would be crowned as the next Olubadan.
He described the journey to the throne as long, but noted that his journey, which lasted 36 years, was perhaps the shortest in the history of the Olubadan.
On the vision for his reign, Balogun said he planned to embark on initiatives that would maintain the status and elevate Ibadan as the centre of Yorubaland in commerce, politics, academics and other important areas of life.
He said: “God willing, we will make sure that Ibadan is a greater African capital. I will listen to the advice given me by Ibadan people.”
Balogun said he would use his Alarere private residence as a palace along with the Aliiwo compound traditional palace, but indicated willingness to move to the public palace whenever it was ready for occupation.
“I have three palaces now – the Aliiwo palace, my own palace (private residence) and the Ibadan palace, which is a big and beautiful palace. I look forward to inhabiting it,” he said.