pannigeriannews 
By Adewuyi Adegbite
I read about the passing of OmoOba Oyebamiji Sobaloju Olorode on the social media this morning, May 23, 2025. Immediately I saw it , I put a call to Alayeluwa, Oba Sunday Oladapo Oyediran Lagbami Osekun III, the Onpetu of Ijeru may be the news has been broken to him as it was supposed to be. The classical mornach said no.
Olorode was the head of the Oluya section of the Onpetu of Ijeru chieftaincy family and on such occasion like Olorode’s demise, Alayeluwa should be the first to be informed. This shows how far our traditional values have been eroded.
Pa Olorode distinguished himself as a farmer with a large farm at Ahoro Dada in Oriire local government Oyo state. He was into cooperative society and trading but most importantly as a politician. It is in the field of politics that he became renowned and made his marks. He belongs to the left divide of Nigeria political divide. He was a lieutenant of Obafemi Awolowo and participated in the politics of the first, second, aborted 3rd republic and until his death.
Aside being an Awolowo follower, he was a man Friday for Senator Dr Christopher Laogun Adeoye with his friends like Ayandele Afilu, Akin Oke, Gbadegesin Adeyanju , Adeyanju Jokotoye, Okun Lawuyi among others. He was appointed the chairman of Ogbomoso south local government with headquarters at Obada/OdoOba in 1982 by Bola Ige administration in the old Oyo state. After the demise of CL Adeoye, he remains a pillar of progressive camp in Oyo state. He was feasible in the SDP, AD, AC, ACN and now APC. One issue that I can not forget which involved him was the politics of the formation of SDP during Gen Babangida’s regime and how progressive of Awolowo family lost the leadership of the party to a faction of Rightist in the old Ogbomoso local government. Before the formation of NRC and SDP parties had been formed by politicians after IBB signalled the beginning of his transition program.
There were People’s Front, People’s Solidarity Party, Nigeria National Convention among others. Leaders of PSP in Ogbomoso included Baba Ande Edge, Prince BAO Okanlawon, Prince Sobaloju Olorode, Akin Oke, Ayande Afilu, Prince Owolabi (baba California) , Dr Laogun Adeoye was the leader and he was at the national level. As a matter of fact, the meeting place of PSP was Rainbow Hotel owned by Baba Ande Ege. Prince Okanlawon if my sense serves me correctly was the chairman ( I hope if my good brother, Bode Atanda is reading this, he could be of help in putting certain things in proper perspectives). Chief Okun Lawuyi was the secretary while because of my father’s position in the progressive camp I was made the vice secretary, that was between 1987/89.
After the formation of SDP, the existing parties collapsed into the military regime decreed political parties. PF and PSP collapsed their structures into SDP. In Ogbomoso local government, the members of the old National Party of Nigeria split into two, a section joined NRC while other section joined SDP. Some of those in the SDP included Alhaji Yisa Bello of AGIP fame, Pa Adepoju from Masifa among others. During the time to elect the executive members, PF puts forward only Alhaji Yisa Bello while there was a division within the SDP. The chairman, Prince BAO Okanlawon wanted to be the chairman so also was prince Banji Olorode. The election took place at SDP secretariat at Ogbomoso High School area, the complex houses FRSC today. As the junior to BAO Okanlawon, Olorode was persuaded to step down for him but to no avail. He stood his ground to contest. At the end of the day, the two went into election with a divided house. Alhaji Yisa Bello emerged victorious and PF cleared local and wards executive slots except in a few wards. That made PF the dominant force in SDP.
The division among progressives in that year hunted progressive family in Ogbomoso zone till this day. This issue is not raised to disparage the dead because he had every right to aspire to any position politically and there was nothing stopping BAO from stepping down for him also. Nonetheless, I write to show that Olorode had played his part in nation building process in Nigeria through all endeavors he involved himself. He was equally a politician whose house was a Mecca for all aspirants or candidates of many political parties both within and without coming to campaign in Ogbomoso zone. He was one of the elders of the progressives camp being SDP, AD, AC, ACN and APC who were recognized both at the state and national level. He was a principled politicians who never changed camp throughout his political career. As the last among the titans in Ogbomoso politics, he was respected and adorned by contemporary politicians in Ogbomoso zone and well taken care of . I know of our father, late Bayo Alao Akala, Senator Ayo Adeseun and Alhaji Fatai Buhari among others.
He remains a progressive till the end. I commiserate with Alayeluwa Sunday Oladapo Oyediran Lagbami Osekun 3, the Onpetu of Ijeru, Oluyale family, Ogbomoso zone, progressive family in Nigeria politics and Alaruru family in Ijeru mostly his children including Egbon Dayo Akande , an in-law like a son and our sister, his wife on the demise of baba Sobaloju Olorode. May God accept his return. Amen.
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