Ibadan stood still on September 26, 2025, as former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja was crowned the 44th Olubadan at Mapo Hall, becoming the first ex-governor to ascend the throne. The vibrant ceremony, attended by President Bola Tinubu, Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), ministers, monarchs like the Sultan of Sokoto, and former governors like Gbenga Daniel and Rabiu Kwankwaso, celebrated Ibadan’s cultural heritage. Fuji star Taye Currency entertained, but his performance stirred controversy by doubling as a coded political platform for Governor Makinde’s 2027 ambitions.
Makinde, nearing the end of his second term, faces speculation about a presidential or senatorial run. His campaign posters, spotted in Kano and Jigawa with slogans like “To Move Nigeria Forward 2027,” fuel the buzz, though he’s remained coy, saying in October 2024, “I’ll push my agenda when the time comes.” Some analysts see a Senate bidafter losses in 2007 and 2011 as his true goal. At the coronation, Makinde avoided over politics, praising Ibadan’s unity and noting the historic landing of a wide-bodied aircraft at the upgraded Ibadan airport.
However, Taye Currency’s lyrics stole the spotlight, declaring, “No matter the circumstance, we will vote for Seyi Makinde… he is the government of the masses.” Sung in Tinubu’s presence, the song was seen as a bold hint at Makinde’s 2027 plans—presidency, Senate, or kingmaker role in Oyo. The performance sparked outrage, with critics like Akeem Alao Babatunde calling it a “poor thespian act” and Oriyomi Hamzat of Agidigbo FM decrying Currency’s jab at Tinubu over the airport upgrade as “embarrassing.” The line “Were la fi n wo were” (“madness is the antidote for insanity”) drew particular ire for its inappropriateness at a royal event. Critics argued for cultural icons like KWAM 1 or Saheed Osupa instead.
Defenders, like Aare Alao Olalekan Sans, said Currency countered APC’s politicization of the event. Journalist Oladeinde Olawoyin suggested a multi-artist lineup of Ibadan natives would have better suited the occasion, noting the performance reflected the interplay of Ibadan’s chieftaincy and state politics. Currency’s lyrics were a strategic signal to Oyo’s grassroots and national powerbrokers: Makinde’s political journey is far from over. The road to 2027 will reveal his true path.
