The Fusengbuwa Ruling House, direct descendants of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Alayeluwa Oba Theophilus Adenuga Tunwase, has declared that only his immediate family holds the legitimate right to present candidates for the vacant Awujale stool, warning that the revered throne is not for sale.
The family made this known during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme aired on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, on Tuesday. Speaking on behalf of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, the Secretary of the direct descendants, Omoba Adekunle Adenuga, and the grandson of the late monarch, Omoba Adelaju Adenuga, faulted the ongoing commercialization of the succession process and cautioned against political interference.
Omoba Adekunle expressed concern that some individuals within the royal family were allegedly selling nomination forms to prospective contenders, describing such acts as a desecration of custom.
“One would have expected that you don’t need to sell a form to your child to put his name forward. The stool of the Awujale is not a business venture. Selling forms among family members to select a successor is alien to our tradition,” he said.
He emphasized that the sacredness of the Awujale stool should never be compromised for personal or political gains.
According to him, “What is happening now is an attempt to buy the crown. Some people are financing factions to push their interests, and that is not what our forefathers stood for.”
Clarifying the controversy over who is eligible to contest, Adekunle stated that only direct descendants of the late Oba Tunwase are legally recognized under the existing succession declaration.
“While several families can trace their roots to Fusengbuwa, only the line directly descending from the last Awujale remains the rightful custodian of the throne,” he explained.
Drawing a parallel with the nation’s leadership structure, he said, “When you mention the president now, you mean Ahmed Tinubu. But when you mention president in 1979, you refer to Shehu Shagari. So also, the ruling house varies with generation. You cannot separate Tunwase from Fusengbuwa or deny his children the right to their ancestral inheritance.”
Omoba Adelaju Adenuga, on his part, dismissed the emergence of multiple Oloriebis (family heads) from different factions, describing such groups as self-formed clubs with no traditional authority. “They are the ones selling forms and causing confusion. These acts demean the dignity of the crown and make the stool look like a lottery,” he said.
He stressed that the Fusengbuwa descendants are not out to alter tradition but to preserve its integrity as defined in the 1959 Declaration and Ogun State Chieftaincy Law. “We will only act when the mourning period officially ends, and all due traditional and legal processes are in place,” he added.
On the ongoing debate about the composition of the kingmakers, Omoba Adekunle explained that the current Council-in-Chief was established by the regent, Dr. Sonny Kuku, strictly for administrative duties and not for the selection of a new Awujale.
“The governor constituted an administrative council to manage palace affairs. They are not yet recognized as kingmakers until officially constituted,” he clarified.
He noted that traditionally, kingmakers are not appointed but naturally emerge upon the demise of a monarch. “The last council of kingmakers was led by Chief Timothy Otutola, the Ogbeni Ooja, while the Olisa performed similar roles in earlier years,” he recalled.
Both representatives of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House called for unity and adherence to due process among Ijebu princes, urging all parties to avoid actions that could desecrate the revered stool. “We have just come out of mourning. Let us respect tradition and avoid turning the Awujale stool into a political or financial competition,” Adelaju appealed.
They reaffirmed that the rightful process for choosing the next Awujale rests with the direct descendants of the last monarch and the duly recognized kingmakers once properly constituted.
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