The revered Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, has passed away at the age of 90. Sources close to the royal family confirmed that the monarch died in the early hours of Monday.
Oba Olakulehin’s death comes during a significant period, as celebrations were underway for his 90th birthday and the first anniversary of his coronation.
Ascending the throne under Ibadan’s traditional chieftaincy system, he was widely admired for his wisdom, peaceful leadership, and dedication to preserving the cultural heritage of his people.
While official statements from the Oyo State Government and the Olubadan-in-Council are still pending, the news has brought a wave of sorrow across Ibadan and beyond. Though his reign was brief, Oba Olakulehin fostered unity among Ibadan’s lineages and championed peace and development in the region.
His passing marks the beginning of traditional succession rites. Details on funeral arrangements and official mourning protocols will be announced in the coming days.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
