The Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode has expressed concern over what it describes as the prolonged delay in the appointment of a new Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.
The Olori Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, accused Governor Dapo Abiodun – led Ogun State Government of sponsoring individuals within the family to frustrate and derail the process for the selection of the next Awujale.
Owoyemi who made the allegation on Saturday while speaking to an Eagle 102.5 FM, also declared as “void” a press conference scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, September 20, 2026, which, according to him, is intended to announce the emergence of another Olori Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and demonise the existing Fusengbuwa family structure.
He insisted that, as the recognised head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, the ruling house had already completed its internal selection process in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.
According to him, the ruling house was given 14 days to complete its internal nomination process but concluded the exercise within 10 days, after which it submitted the required documents and the names of its candidates to the Awujale kingmakers.
Owoyemi said the kingmakers were then expected to conclude their own stage of the process within seven days and present a single candidate to the Ogun State Governor for approval and enthronement.
He questioned the continued delay and what he described as interference by the Ogun State Government in a process which, according to him, had already commenced and was being conducted in line with the applicable traditional and legal procedures.
The Fusengbuwa Olori Ebi further alleged that certain mutinuous individuals were being encouraged by interested personalities within Ogun state Government structure to initiate a parallel process capable of undermining the authority of the ruling house.
He consequently maintained that any meeting, decision or announcement purporting to select another candidate outside the process already completed by the ruling house would be invalid.
The development comes amid an ongoing legal dispute over the stalled process for selecting the next Awujale.
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House had earlier approached the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu-Ode in suit number HCJ/149/2026, seeking orders compelling the Governor, the kingmakers and other parties to conclude the selection process.
The matter has been adjourned to September 23, 2026, following the return of the case by a vacation judge to the administrative judge for reassignment.
Also the leadership of the ruling house has again on the 16th of September sued other members of the family from parading themselves as leaders or interfering with the leadership structure. The suit is numbered HCJ/167/2026.
The ruling house has maintained that it completed its part of the process within the stipulated period, while alleging that the subsequent stage was halted following petitions and security reports which, it said, were not made available to the ruling house.
The Awujale stool has remained vacant since the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona on Sunday 13th July 2025, after 65 years on the throne.
The latest development is expected to further heighten the dispute over the process and authority for determining the next occupant of the revered Awujale stool.
