All roads led to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Friday, September 26, 2025 as a former governor of the state, Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, was crowned as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan.
Weekend Trust reports that apart from Ladoja, there are other former governors who ascended traditional stools after exiting government house.
Ladoja (Olubadan)
Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja was born on September 24 1944 in the Gambari area of Ibadan, the city he is now set to lead traditionally. He attended Ibadan Boys’ High School from 1958 to 1963 and Olivet Baptist High School from 1964 to 1965.
Ladoja furthered his education at the University of Liège, Belgium, earning a degree in Chemical Engineering between 1966 and 1972.
In 1993, he was elected to the Nigerian Senate under the United Nigeria Congress during Nigeria’s short-lived Third Republic.
By 2000, Ladoja climbed the corporate ladder to become a director at the Standard Trust Bank Limited.
Elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Olubadan became the Oyo State governor in April 2003, taking office on May 29. He came into power with the backing of the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, but soon fell out with him over political appointments.
Ladoja was impeached on January 12 2006 but fought his removal in court. The Supreme Court eventually upheld his appeal and he returned to office on December 12, 2006.
In August 2008, he was briefly remanded in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged financial misconduct but was granted a bail of N100 million with two sureties.
After his PDP days, Ladoja ran for the governorship seat under the Accord Party in 2011 and 2015 but lost both times. He later joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), then Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in 2018 before stepping back to focus on his chieftaincy duties.
As the highest-ranking chief in the Otun line, Ladoja became the next in line to become Olubadan. Interestingly, on August 12, 2024, the late Olakulehin formally presented him with the ceremonial beaded crown – a gesture he once rejected during the Abiola Ajimobi administration.
Mohammed Awwal Ibrahim (Emir of Suleja)
Born on September 8, 1941, Alhaji Mohammed Awwal Ibrahim, the Emir of Suleja, served as governor of Niger State from October 1979 to December 1983 during the Second Republic. He was elected on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
In 1979, he left the civil service to contest for the governorship of Niger State under the NPN and became the first elected governor of Niger State.
There were attempts to impeach Ibrahim. However, he was forced out of office after the coup that brought General Muhammadu Buhari to power. Subsequently, a military tribunal set up by the Buhari regime convicted him of abuse of power and corruption in 1984. In 1986, he was barred for life from holding public office or participating in partisan politics.
He is now the Emir of Suleja, a Hausa emirate established in the early 19th century, formerly called Abuja and now in Niger State. In 1976, a large part of the emirate, plus territories from other states, became the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the centre of the new city of Abuja, while the emirate was renamed Suleja and left as part of Niger State.
Awwal Ibrahim became the Emir of Suleja in 1993. His accession resulted in rioting and destruction of property by opponents. He was deposed on May 10 1994 by General Sani Abacha. But after the return to democracy, the emir was restored to the throne on January 17, 2000.
Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff
Also in this category is His Royal Majesty, Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff, the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, Bayelsa State.
After Rivers State was created from part of the old Eastern Region, Diete-Spiff was the first military governor.
During the General Yakubu Gowon military regime, he served from May 1967 to July 1975. He served on the Supreme Military Council as well.
Born on July 30, 1942, he attended western Cameroon’s St Joseph College and Dartmouth, England’s Britannia Royal Naval College. In 1964, he enlisted in the Nigerian Navy and was commissioned as a ship diving officer.
He was a naval lieutenant commander when he was appointed the military governor of Rivers State in 1967 at the age of 25. He was in the 2005 confab and served in the Committee on Models and Structure of Government. He is in the category of elder statesmen.
Major-General Mohammed Jega
Major-General Mohammed Jega, now an emir, had the opportunity to serve as governor of one state at two different times.
He became the military governor of Gongola State (now split into Adamawa and Taraba states) from March, 1976 to July, 1978 under the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. He had a second opportunity between January 1984 and August 1985 under the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari.
After retiring from active military service in 1985, he engaged in public and traditional affairs, leading to his appointment as Emir Muhammad Ilyasu-Bashar of Gwandu (in Kebbi State) in June 2005, replacing Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo.
His appointment was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria many years later.
Brigadier-General Abu Ali (Etsu Bassa Nge)
Born on September 6, 1947, in Takete, Kogi State, Brigadier-General (rtd) Alhaji Abu Ali Mopa III has lived a life defined by courage, service, and leadership. From an early age, he nurtured the dream of becoming a soldier, a decision that initially met with resistance from his family. Undeterred, he enrolled at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, where he laid the foundation of a military career that would eventually shape his destiny. His determination later took him to the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, from where he emerged as a fine officer, steadily rising through the ranks until he retired as a Brigadier-General in 1999.
Abu Ali’s mark on history became more pronounced in August 1990, when he was appointed to serve as Governor of Bauchi State during the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. His tenure, though short, was one of vision and tangible development. He commissioned the Bauchi Township Water Project, a lifeline for residents in the state capital, and laid the foundation for youth engagement and sporting excellence by forming the Wikki Tourists Football Club, which continues to be a force in Nigerian football. His administration also consolidated the Tomato Processing Company in Bauchi, advancing agricultural productivity, while simultaneously improving healthcare delivery through the completion of hospital projects across the state.
But beyond projects, his governorship was tested by crisis. In 1991, when ethno-religious violence erupted in Tafawa Balewa and spread to other towns, Abu Ali was thrust into one of the most challenging moments of his career. With firm resolve, he imposed a curfew, banned public gatherings, and deployed security forces in a bid to restore calm. Though the conflict was tragic, his decisive measures helped prevent further escalation and earned him recognition as a leader who placed peace above all else.
In January 1992, Brigadier-General Abu Ali demonstrated rare humility and respect for democracy by peacefully handing over to an elected civilian government, a transition that underscored his belief in Nigeria’s democratic future.
After retiring from the military, Abu Ali returned to his roots, where he was installed as the Etsu Bassa Nge (Mopa III), a first-class traditional ruler and custodian of Bassa Nge heritage in Kogi State in the year, 2000. In this role, he continues to embody dignity, wisdom, and cultural pride, guiding his people while commanding respect across Nigeria.
His life is also one of sacrifice. He is the father of the late Lt.-Col. Muhammad Abu Ali, the fearless Nigerian Army commander celebrated nationwide for his gallantry against Boko Haram insurgents. The younger Ali’s death in 2016 at Mallam Fatori, Borno State, was not only a personal tragedy but also a national loss, marking yet another chapter in the family’s deep legacy of service to Nigeria.