The beginning of the first Ibadan is attributed to the visionary leadership of Lagelu, a celebrated warlord and prince hailing from the ancient city of Ile-Ife. With strategic foresight, he sought a location of both defensive and economic advantage, selecting a pivotal corridor between the dense forests and the open savannah belts of Yoruba land in which he established a settlement which was referred to as Iba Odan. According to the President of the International Council for Ifa Religion, Chief Fayemi Fakayode, in an article which was published in The Punch Newspaper on 9 November, 2025, Ibadan was not coined from ‘Eba’ and ‘Odan’. Rather, it is a contraption of ‘Ibà’ (or Ilébà), which means ‘pantry’ and ‘Odan’, which means meadow. He further argued that the pantry for hunting game was specifically meant for the hunters who migrated with Lagelu.
In its formative years, the nascent Ibadan existed within a mosaic of neighbouring communities. Its periphery was defined by a constellation of Egba settlements, including Ido, Ogoo and Ika, as well as the Owo town of Erunmu, creating a dynamic regional landscape. However, the promise of this first settlement was tragically cut short during the tumultuous reign of Alaafin Sango in the sixteenth century. The catalyst for its downfall was a profound cultural transgression as the hallowed secrets of the Egungun masquerader were irrevocably unveiled during a sacred festival. This act of desecration was deemed an unforgivable sacrilege, provoking the formidable might of the Oyo Empire. In retribution, the imperial army descended upon the town, laid siege and ultimately burnt it to the ground. This conquest, thereby, concluded the chapter of the first Ibadan.
GOVERNANCE
After the transformative events that had occurred earlier, as narrated above, political and military ascendancy passed decisively to the Oyo chiefs. As they firmly resolved to establish Ibadan as their enduring capital, they embarked on constructing a formal and hierarchical government whose structure was intrinsically modelled on military organisation. To lead this new order, Oluyedun was elevated to the supreme position, assuming the revered title of Aare Ona Kakanfo, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Lakanle, his principal lieutenant, was installed as the Otun Kakanfo, the second-in-command. This foundational structure was further elaborated with a suite of supporting military offices, including the Osi, Ekerin, Ekarun, Ekefa, Aare Aladese and the Sarumi, who commanded the cavalry. Notably, within this martially-oriented administration, only a single civilian title was instituted, and this was the Babasale or Chief Adviser. This honour was conferred on Labosinde, who was a retired warrior from Ife, in recognition of his wise counsel and his principled opposition to Maye Okunade’s earlier plans for aggression.
Following Oluyedun’s tenure, the leadership of Ibadan passed to Oluwole. His ascendancy to the position of authority took place during a pivotal period after the collapse of Old Oyo in the mid-1830s. In 1839, he was formally installed as Basorun by Alaafin Atiba, and he ruled Ibadan until 1847. It was under Oluwole’s governance that Ibadan military-based system of rulership became deeply entrenched and further elaborated. He oversaw the creation of additional chieftaincies that refined the chain of command. The office of the Balogun emerged as the paramount field commander of the army, and was supported by viceroys who oversaw the right flank (Otun Balogun), the left flank (Osi Balogun), and the junior warrior divisions (Seriki). Further chieftaincies, such as the Agbakin and Aare Ago, were reserved for Generals of exceptional distinction. Thus, this cemented a sophisticated hierarchy that would define Ibadan’s powerful political-military complex for generations.
THE CIVIL COUNCIL AND EXPANSION OF GOVERNANCE
As of the mid-nineteenth century, Ibadan’s expanding power and territory necessitated a more formalised system of governance with a view to balancing civil administration with its established military dominance. In response, the position of the Baale and a supporting Council of Chiefs was established. This council uniquely incorporated both male and female leadership. The male hierarchy included chieftaincies such as the Otun, Osi, Ekefa and Ekerin Baale, while a parallel structure existed for women under the authority of the Iyalode. Although they were not military figures, these female chiefs wielded significant economic and social influence as wealthy patrons of the state; for the most part, they oversaw market affairs and advocated the interests of women.
However, the civil authority of Ibadan remained carefully checked by the military power. This was evident by the fact that the Baale-in-Council could not legislate without the consent of the military chiefs, reflecting the enduring primacy of martial prowess. Notably, the Balogun, the supreme military commander, was traditionally the successor to the Baale. Nonetheless, several prominent Baloguns, such as Oderinlo (1847), Akere (1867), Osungbekun (1893) and Akintola (1895), declined the civil office owing to the fact that they preferred arena of warfare. This tension between civil and military spheres precipitated the formation of the Igbimo Ilu or Town Council, which served as the primary legislative and judicial body of Ibadan. This forum comprised both civic and military leaders.
The system was crystallised into a formal republican structure of chieftaincy in 1851 when Oyesile Olugbode succeeded Oderinlo as Baale and Ibikunle assumed the role of Balogun. This arrangement institutionalised two distinct lines of authority, which were (i) the Baale line (Civil) and (ii) the Balogun line (Military), and established a lasting dual system for governing the rising Ibadan empire, although this system was contentious sometimes.
COLONIAL REORGANISATION
In 1897, the British colonial administration undertook a decisive restructuring of the political system of Ibadan in an attempt to create a new system of governance which could embed the policy of indirect rule. This significant reform saw the inauguration of the Ibadan Town Council, which was expressly created to incorporate the existing hierarchy of indigenous chiefs into the machinery of colonial oversight. Its original composition carefully followed the traditional order as it comprised the Baale, his principal lieutenants — the Otun Baale and the Osi Baale, the military title holder — the Balogun, and a council of eight to twelve other high-ranking chiefs.
This foundational structure was further refined and formalised through the Native Council Ordinance of 1901. This significant legislative measure was introduced under the governorship of Sir William MacGregor. The ordinance established the Baale’s position, formally designating him as the President of the Council. This position symbolically enshrined the indigenous authority at its helm, while the British Resident official was strategically relegated to a purely advisory role. In a move that signalled the evolving nature of the local administration, the membership of the Council was also deliberately expanded beyond the traditional aristocratic sphere to co-opt the emerging western-educated elite. Thus, prominent figures such as The Reverend James Okuseinde, Mr Foster and Mr Adetoun were admitted into the body. This brought about the integration of modern literacy and new perspectives into the deliberative body, and it subtly altered the dynamics of local governance under the aegis of the colonial administration.
TRANSITION TO THE OLUBADAN
Before 1936, the traditional ruler of Ibadan was formally designated by the title of Baale. This title, however, was increasingly viewed as incongruent with the burgeoning political and commercial prominence of Ibadan, which was perceived as overly generic because it was assumed that it lacked the distinct prestige befitting a major Yoruba city-state. Consequently, a deliberate and symbolic transition was enacted, and this enactment supplanted the Baale with the loftier and more unique titular designation of Olubadan.
In particular, the matter of succession to this newly elevated throne required formal clarification, and this was achieved in 1944 through a definitive declaration that was issued by the Ibadan Native Authority under the auspices of Native Law and Custom. This landmark declaration systematically abolished the former convention of automatic succession by the Balogun (the traditional military leader). Instead, a sophisticated and rotational system, which was designed to ensure stability and balance, was instituted. The core principle, which was established, was that any titled senior chief, within either the civil (Olubadan) line or the military (Balogun) line, would be eligible for the throne of Olubadan of Ibadan land. Thus, the succession to the stool began alternating between the two lines. In other words, as a rule, a critical corollary was stipulated that, upon a vacancy to the Olubadan stool, chiefs from the same royal line as the immediately deceased Olubadan would be rendered ineligible. This principle was established to enforce the alternation.
This meticulously crafted rotational provision was not left as a customary decree alone. To ensure its permanence and legal force, it was subsequently incorporated into the statutory framework of the Western Region and was specifically enshrined in Section 4 (3) of the Chiefs Law of 1957. This same legislation further codified and formalised the structure of the Olubadan-in-Council, defining it as a body comprising eleven high-ranking senior chiefs; it solidified the modern chieftaincy institution of Ibadan.
THE MODERN IBADAN SYSTEM
In his work, Ibadan Traditional System: Reforms and Regeneration, which was published in 2011, Theophilus A. Akintoye elucidated the distinctive and remarkably egalitarian political architecture of Ibadan. He characterised this system as fundamentally and inherently republican. That is, it is a societal system in which leadership positions are attained as rewards for meritorious services and tangible achievements, not by an accident of birth. This monarchical system stands in stark contrast to a hereditary monarchy and fosters a dynamic hierarchy in which influence is earned through community services, capability, and proven valour.
Significantly, the Olubadan, whose office embodies a profound dual sovereignty, is at the summit of this meticulously structured republican system. He reigns simultaneously as both the direct ruler of Ibadan city and the paramount leader over the entire expanse of Ibadan land. Far more than a mere political head, the Olubadan serves as the sacred custodian of the people’s history and cultural heritage. He is the living symbol of unity, the central pillar around which the community coalesces, and the final arbiter in all matters of customs and traditions. For this reason, the weighty and solemn responsibility to ensure communal harmony, maintain social order and guide the enduring progress of his domain rests upon his shoulders. This dual authority balances the ancient tradition with the necessities of a modernising world.
