BREAKING: Ex-Osun Deputy Gov, Haastrup Emerges As New Owa Obokun Of Ijesaland
Loja Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, a former deputy governor of Osun State, has been elected as the 49th Owa Obokun (Ajimoko III) and paramount ruler of Ijesaland. Haastrup, who hails from the Bilaro Oluodo Ruling House, emerged victorious in a keenly contested election among nine other contenders for the throne.
The election, conducted by the kingmakers of Ijesaland, took place at the Ilesa West Local Government Secretariat in Ilesa, under the supervision of the Head of Local Government Administration for Ilesa East Local Government.
Following the election, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State officially approved Haastrup’s appointment as the new Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland. The Governor also appointed Prince Johnson Adekanmi Abikoye as the new Asaoni of Ora Igbomina.
The announcement was made by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, after the approval was ratified during the Osun State Executive Council meeting on Friday.
Haastrup’s rise to the throne follows the passing of the former Owa Obokun, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, on September 11, 2024. Similarly, Prince Abikoye’s ascension to the Asaoni of Ora Igbomina follows the death of Oba Tinuoye Atolagbe on November 19, 2023.
Governor Adeleke congratulated the newly approved monarchs, highlighting that their selection adhered to the due process outlined in Osun State Chiefs’ Law 2002 (Cap 25). He urged the people of Ijesaland and Ora Igbomina to cooperate with their new traditional rulers and prioritize peace and unity in their domains.
Haastrup, born on September 19, 1948, served as Deputy Governor of Osun from January 1992 to November 1993 alongside the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke. He is a graduate of Howard University in the United States, where he earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree. He hails from the Ajimoko royal family in Ijesaland.
