There appears to be no let up in the leadership crisis plaguing the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode over who between the two contending princes is the Olori – Ebi (headship) of this larger royal family for Awujale throne.
While a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), Otunba Abdul – Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi, who is also the Otunba Jadiara of Ijebuland was on Sunday, August 31, confirmed as the Olori – Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House during an enlarged meeting of the house at Agunsebi, Ijebu – Ode, another Prince, Chief Adedokun Ajidagba, a veteran oil and gas dealer, is also laying claim to being the Olori – Ebi of the same Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Fusengbuwa is next in line to present a candidate to fill the Awujale throne which was left vacant with the demise of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba 11, who joined his ancestors on July 13, 2025 at age 91.
The question of who is the headship of the Fusengbuwa has remained a subject of seemingly intractable in – house dispute, predating the passing of Oba Adetona and gravitating into lawsuits starting from the state high court Ijebu – Ode in 2014 and terminating in November 2024 at the Ibadan division of the Appeal Court in favour of Otunba Owoyemi as the Olori – Ebi.
However, the matter took a curious twist on Wednesday, September 17, with some members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House filing a lawsuit against Otunba Owoyemi over alleged impersonation as the Olori-Ebi (head) of the family.
In the suit lodged at the Ijebu – Ode high court, Otunba Ajidagba Adedokun, accused Owoyemi of unlawfully parading himself as the family’s head, contrary to a previous ruling of Ijebu-Ode High Court II before Justice Asenuga.
The claimants include Adedokun of the Adeberu royal family, Prince Adeleke Adeyemi of the Olufadi royal family, and Prince Ademola Sonaya of the Ayora/Tunwase royal family; all under the Fusengbuwa lineage.
Adedokun asserted that Owoyemi has no ancestral link to the Ile-Nla compound in Agunsebi, the historic seat of the Fusengbuwa house. He listed the ruling house’s eight recognized branches as Olufadi, Ayora/Tunwase, Shenowo, Okuyandewo, Oshinuga, Adekenu, Adebiyi, and Adeberu.
He further claimed that Owoyemi hails from Ikoro-Ekiti and not Ijebu-Ode, a position allegedly affirmed by the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. Adedokun said his own appointment as Olori-Ebi was ratified on November 23, 2023, with official notification sent to the Ogun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and to the late monarch.
Speaking to journalists after filing the court documents, Adedokun maintained that the suit aims to stop impersonation.
“Fusengbuwa Ruling House is rooted in Agunsebi Ile-Nla, Ijebu-Ode, no one can rewrite that history,” he said. “Chief Lateef Owoyemi admitted in open court before Justice Asenuga that he is from Ikoro-Ekiti. He has no claim to the Fusengbuwa headship.”
The claimants are asking the court to restrain Owoyemi from presenting himself as Olori-Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and to enforce earlier court directives on the matter.
But court documents sighted by The Daily Crucible revealed that an appeal court judgment dated November 28, 2024 from the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Judicial Division, had already set aside the judgment of Honourable Justice A. O. Asenuga in suit number HCT/18/2014 and decided on March 8, 2018. The Appeal Court judgment took further steps concerning all issues (1-7, especially the Court judgment delivered by Justice A.O. Asenuga of the Ijebu-Ode High Court against the selection of Otunba Lateef Owoyemi as Olori-Ebi due to questions over his lineage) were all resolved in favour of Otunba Owoyemi and other appellants.
The Appeal marked CA/IB/334/2018 between Otunba Abdul – Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi(Otunba Jadiara of Ijebuland and Head of Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu – Ode), Otunba Yisau Oladokun Ajidagba, Prince Adeleke Adeyemi – the three designated as appellants for themselves and on behalf of Fusengbuwa Ruling House) and Alhaji A. O. Sote (Respondent) was treated by three Appeal Court Justices – Yargata Byenchit Nimpar, Binta Fatima Zubairu and Uwabunkeonye Onwosi.
In the appeal court verdict delivered by Justice Binta Fatima Zubairu, the Appellate Court held that “… DW1 equally asserted that the 1st Appellant is disqualified from holding the office and or title of Olori – Ebi… as the Appellant’s father was an Osaforiji and it is a taboo to allow any of the Appellants to participate in appointing an Ewulaje. This remains a mere assertion without more as it has been shown that he initially participated in the meeting appointing the 1st Appellant which he claimed the stamp on the said document was fraud without proving same. I therefore resolve issues 1,2,3,4,5, and 6 in favour of the Appellants.”
Concluding on issue 7, the Appeal Court Justice held that “the failure of the learned trial judge to consider the appellants’ reply certainly breached the Appellants’ right to fair hearing as their own side of the story has not been heard. They were obviously shut out from responding to the new issues raised, thereby occasioning a miscarriage of justice.
”Therefore, issue seven is hereby resolved in favour of the Appellants. On the whole, this appeal has merit and it is accordingly allowed. The judgment of Honourable Justice A. O. Asenuga in suit number HCT/18/2014 delivered on March 8, 2018 is hereby set aside. Parties are to bear their own costs.”
Buttressing this position while briefing reporters recently at Aafin Otunba Jadiara Palace Idowa, his country home, Otunba Owoyemi said that the Ijebu Ode court judgment which Prince Ajidagba keeps relying on had been set aside by the Appeal Court sitting in Ibadan division.
He explained that Ajidagba was appointed as an Olori – Ebi in acting capacity while they waited for the determination of the Appeal filed in Ibadan against the judgment of Justice A. O. Asenuga.
The ex – President of the ICAN stressed that the matter having been resolved in his favour since November 2024 and the lower court judgment also set aside, Ajidagba’s continued claim to being an Olori – Ebi is no longer valid.
Who is the Olori – Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House? This is a big puzzling question and how or when it will be resolved remains hidden in the womb of time. What does it portend to the selection of the next Aqwujale of Ijebuland?
