Awujale Of Ijebu, Buhari’s Longtime Friend, Dies At 91 - Thepodiummedia

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Post published:July 13, 2025
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The monarch passed away on Sunday, just hours after the announcement of the death of Muhammadu Buhari, his longtime friend and former president.

Adetona ascended the throne on April 2, 1960, and reigned for over 64 years, making him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Nigerian history.

His friendship with Buhari dated back to the 1980s and was cemented under extraordinary circumstances.

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In 1983, just before Buhari’s military coup, Olabisi Onabanjo, then Ogun state governor, had already signed a formal order deposing Adetona. The removal was scheduled to take effect on January 2, 1984.

But the coup of December 31, 1983 — which toppled Nigeria’s civilian government — halted the plan. Buhari’s intervention inadvertently preserved the Awujale’s reign.

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The British Council appointed him as Head of Communication and Marketing to co-ordinate branding and reputation management activities at its Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt offices.

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Ademola obtained a M.Sc. Degree in Digital Marketing & Web Analytics from Dublin Institute of Technology in 2016, and the Master of Communication Arts degree of the University of Ibadan in 1997. He had previously obtained a Higher National Diploma (with Upper Credit) in Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta.

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