Dr Adesola Adeduntan was installed as the Balogun of Oyo on Sept. 5, assuming one of the kingdom’s most senior traditional offices and the responsibilities that accompany leadership, courage and defence of the realm.
The ceremony at the Alaafin’s Palace drew traditional rulers, government officials and indigenes. Dignitaries included the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi. Chiefs of the Oyomesi and other titleholders performed drumming, prayers and homage to mark the occasion.
Adeduntan, who led First Bank of Nigeria Limited as Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, succeeds the late Dr Victor Olunloyo, former governor of the old Oyo State. He is also Pro‑Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Ibadan, and holds the title Apesin Ola of Ibadanland.
Alaafin Oba Akeem Owoade described the Balogun office as revered and senior, and urged the new holder to uphold its values and apply his experience to promote development, peace and unity across Oyo Kingdom. Adeduntan thanked the monarch and pledged to serve with humility, integrity and commitment to the progress of Oyo and Yorubaland.
President Bola Tinubu sent congratulations, calling the installation a call to greater service and urging the promotion of peace, development and the preservation of cultural heritage. Officials said the Sept. 5 ceremony was both symbolic and timely; it had been deferred from July 18 as a mark of honour to victims of the Oriire abduction.
The public meeting between Oba Ladoja and Alaafin Owoade, coming after reports of tension at an earlier gathering, underlined a push for visible cooperation between Oyo and Ibadan traditional institutions. The installation closes a chapter of succession and opens a period in which Adeduntan is expected to translate his corporate and academic experience into service for the kingdom.
