CCII To Honour Buhari, Others At 2026 Ibadan Festival
Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) said it would honour the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen George Akume, the Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) at the 2026 edition of the Ibadan festival.
Apart from the duo, the council would also honour the senator representing Oyo North senatorial district, Fatai Buhari, and the Vice Chancellor of the Ajimobi Technical University (TECH-U), Professor Adeola Ajayi, at the event.
The President General of CCII, Chief Sulaimon Ajewole, disclosed on Wednesday while addressing newsmen on the activities lined up for the annual festival at the Ibadan House, Oke-Aremo.
According to him, those to be honured at the event are chosen based on their contributions to the development of the society.
Ajewole said the festival would be used to promote the rich culture of Ibadan, indigenous talents, food, creative economy, fashion, entertainment, sports, tourism potential, and cultural elegance, adding that this year’s edition would feature new innovations to make it more impactful.
“This programme started in 1984 as Ibadan Day, later became Ibadan Week, and now Ibadan Festival. It fosters cordial relationships among over 200 affiliate clubs within and outside Nigeria, including those in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. Many of them are currently in Ibadan for the festival,” he said.
“We also bring together those who are not indigenes but are residents, whom we refer to as ‘Ibadan gbemi’. One of the greatest attributes of Ibadan is that bi Ibadan se gbe onile lo n gbe alejo—we accommodate both indigenes and visitors, fostering development for all,” he said.
The CCII President General added that the 2026 edition of the festival would feature a talent hunt, educational programmes, Amala Day, cultural stage performances, football competition, beauty pageantry, medical outreach, palliative distribution, business dinner, and a thanksgiving service at St. Peter’s Church, Aremo.
Ajewole said the grand finale would hold on April 18, 2026, at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, with the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and other dignitaries are expected to attend.
Speaking on security arrangements, especially for traffic control and crowd management, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Mogaji Moshood Akere, assured that adequate measures had been put in place in collaboration with the state government and security agencies.
“The state government, through the Special Adviser on Security, Fatai Owoseni, has assured us of full support to ensure a safe and hitch-free festival.“
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