Ibadan, capital of Oyo State, is abuzz with excitement ahead of the installation of Oba Rashidi Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland on Friday.

The week-long programme of events will climax at Mapo Hall, where Governor Seyi Makinde is expected to present the Staff of Office to the new monarch. Makinde, who has been on vacation, is due back in Ibadan on Thursday.

Ladoja, a businessman, former senator, and ex-governor of Oyo State, turned 81 on Thursday. He rose through the Olubadan chieftaincy hierarchy to assume the throne following the death of Oba Owolabi Olakulehin on July 7, two days after his 90th birthday.

Prominent personalities, including President Bola Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, are expected to attend the coronation. Many dignitaries have already arrived in Ibadan, with convoys frequently sighted on major roads.

Billboards with Ladoja’s image and congratulatory messages now line streets such as Iwo Road, Mokola, Ring Road, Challenge, Sango, Eleyele, Molete, Apata, Akala Road, Akobo, and Bashorun.

Security has been tightened, with the police, State Road Traffic Management Authority, and other agencies deployed to ensure safety and order. The Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, which recently reopened after upgrades, will host arriving VIPs.

The event’s Organising Committee, chaired by Chief Bayo Oyero, announced that markets in Ibadan will be closed on Friday. Police have also restricted movement around Mapo Hall, urging motorists to use alternative routes.