Chief Lekan Alabi did not just report Ibadan’s history. He lived it, defended it, and titled it. On Saturday morning in Lagos, the Abese Olubadan of Ibadanland, veteran journalist, and former Chief Press Secretary to Oyo governors passed away. He was 76.
His death was confirmed in a statement issued by Adeola Oloko, Media Aide to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
In government, Alabi served as Chief Press Secretary to successive Oyo State governors. Colleagues remember him for two things: a sharp red pen and an even sharper memory for facts. For many reporters in Ibadan, their first lesson in accuracy and attribution came from his desk.
But beyond the press releases and government house, Alabi’s greater assignment was to Ibadan itself. As Abese Olubadan, he became a custodian of the city’s customs, lineages, and oral traditions. He was often called upon at palace functions, chieftaincy installations, and cultural festivals to clarify dates, settle historical disputes, and explain protocol.
He was also an author and historian who wrote to preserve what he feared might be forgotten. His works focused on Ibadan’s wars, the chieftaincy system, and Yoruba heritage. To him, journalism and history were the same duty: to record the truth for the next generation.
According to family sources, the late Ibadan chief will be buried on Sunday in accordance with Islamic rites.
Tributes have poured in from political leaders, media professionals, and traditional institutions across the country. In Ibadan, however, the grief is more personal. With Alabi’s passing, the city has lost a bridge between the newsroom, the government house, and the palace — a man who spent his life ensuring that the story of his people was properly told.
May his soul rest in peace.
