Over 35 aspirants from within the royal family have so far been screened by the ruling house forum as potential candidates for the throne of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Ogun State, The Daily Crucible gathered on Sunday night, as more Princes jostle for the revered crown of the Ijebu nation in Nigeria.
The throne became vacant with the passing of the last Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikirullai Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba 11, who joined his ancestors on July 13, 2025, at age 91 after 65 years of impactful and meritorious reign over his people.
Fusengbuwa ruling house is next in line to produce the next Awujale to succeed late Oba Adetona who hailed from the Anikilaiya ruling house. The mourning period for the departed monarch, it was learnt, is gradually drawing to a close, to pay way for a seamless process leading to selection of a successor.
Speaking during a family gathering of more than 200 princes and princesses of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House at Ile Nla Quarters, Agusenbi, Ijebu-Ode, on Sunday, the Olori-Ebi of the house, Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba declared that the crown of the Awujale stool is not for sale and will only go to a rightful and legitimate candidate from the family.
Prince Ajidagba reaffirmed that the Ijebu-Ode royal family remains strong and united, emphasizing that the Awujale stool is a sacred symbol of heritage and must not be commercialized.
He said, “We are here today to welcome our new members, those who have seen the light and returned home to Ile-Nla, including Otunba Deji Osibogun, Engr. Kayode Shote, and others, the Awujale crown is not meant for outsiders or for sale. It is reserved for genuine members of the Fusengbuwa family.
“There is no other faction of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House anywhere, the local government has given us the certificate of occupancy. We have eight units, and this has been the tradition for generations. I am the fifth generation from the Ile-Nla quarters. This is not a group of outsiders, but one built on genuine lineage.”
Speaking with journalists, one of the contestants, Prince Shakiru Bello said the family remains united, noting that the cooperation between the group has strengthened their common cause.
“The arrangements made by both factions have actually helped to foster unity in the family, we are hopeful that the best candidate will emerge as the next Awujale of Ijebuland,” Bello said.
Another aspirant, Prince Senni Ottun, described the gathering as a unifying step forward, says the Fusengbuwa Ruling House at Ile-Nla is growing stronger by the day, adding that massive turnout shows that the family is moving in the right direction toward a promising future.
