Tinubu hosts Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja at Aso Rock

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday held a high-level meeting with the Olubadan of Ibadanland and Chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in a visit that quickly drew attention to Nigeria’s worsening security situation.

The meeting, which took place at Aso Villa, was disclosed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who shared photographs showing the President and the revered monarch in what appeared to be a warm and cordial exchange.

Speaking after the closed-door session, Oba Ladoja publicly expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s capacity to confront the country’s security challenges, insisting that the crisis, though alarming, is not beyond solution.

Addressing State House correspondents, the former Oyo State governor identified insecurity as Nigeria’s most pressing problem, warning that farmers and rural communities are increasingly under threat, with the situation now spreading beyond the North.

“The major problem that we really have now is the problem of insecurity. Farmers find it difficult to go to their farms. It is already coming to the South also,” the Olubadan said.

“Everybody is apprehensive of going to the farm; everybody is apprehensive of going about their daily businesses. I don’t think it is insurmountable. We believe that the President is tackling it currently.”

Oba Ladoja explained that the visit was also meant to personally thank President Tinubu for his support since his coronation as Olubadan in September 2025, noting that he had been seeking an opportunity to formally express his appreciation.

“Since my coronation, I have been looking for an opportunity to come and say thank you to Mr President for his support,” he said.

Drawing parallels with Tinubu’s time as governor of Lagos State, the traditional ruler defended the President’s leadership credentials, arguing that his track record suggests he understands the complexities of governance.

“If you know from where he (Tinubu) is coming, you will know that he knows what he is doing. He was able to get Lagos from where it was to where he left it,” Oba Ladoja stated.

While admitting that governing Nigeria is far more complex than managing a single state, the Olubadan expressed optimism that the President’s economic reforms would yield results, predicting visible progress by the end of Tinubu’s tenure in 2031.

“Nigeria is more complex than a state because not all of us have the same notion about what we want,” he said.

“The states have more money now than they had when we were governors. They are able to meet their commitments more. The economy is being fixed, and we hope that when he leaves in 2031, he will have put Nigeria where all of us would be proud of.”