President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, are among prominent dignitaries expected at the 60th remembrance anniversary of the late Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola.
Akintola, a former Premier of the defunct Western Region and the 13th Aare-Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, will be honoured at a memorial ceremony scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2026, by 10:00 a.m. at the International Conference Centre (ICC), University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
Also expected at the event are Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III; federal and state lawmakers from Oyo State, traditional rulers, and other eminent personalities from across the country.
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Senator Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, will serve as Chairman of the Day, while Chief (Amb.) Abayomi Akintola, Dr. Abimbola Akintola, and Justice Ladiran Akintola will act as Chief Hosts.
In a joint statement issued by the Coordinator of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Memorial Foundation, Ogbomosho, Mr. Yemi Adedokun, and the Foundation’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Remi Oladoye, it was disclosed that the anniversary lecture will be delivered by Professor Akinjide Osuntokun, former Nigerian Ambassador to Germany.
Chief Akintola (1910–1966) was a distinguished lawyer, journalist, orator, and nationalist, regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria. He served as the second and last Premier of the Western Region before his assassination during Nigeria’s first military coup on January 15, 1966.
According to the Foundation, the anniversary programme will provide an opportunity to reflect on Akintola’s political ideals, leadership philosophy, and contributions to regional and national development, while also reassessing his role in the political evolution of the old Western Region and Nigeria.
