The prolonged crisis surrounding the selection of the next Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland has taken a fresh turn, as the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode petitioned Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, over the alleged activities of a breakaway faction within the family.
In a petition dated August 15, 2026 and received at the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta on August 17, the ruling house accused former secretary of one of its former units, Adeleke Adeyemi, and his associates of allegedly convening unauthorised meetings, creating a parallel structure and attempting to undermine the recognised leadership of the family.
The petition was signed by the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdul Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi; Deputy Chairman, Otunba Dokun Ajidagba; Vice Chairman, Prof. Fassy Adetokunbo Yusuf; and General Secretary, Pastor Prince I. Bola Salami.
The development comes barely a week after a faction led by Adeyemi and Adeyemo Oduneye announced the removal of Owoyemi, Yusuf and Ajidagba following the submission of a report by a nine-member fact-finding committee.
The committee had accused the three leaders of financial inducement, document manipulation and other alleged irregularities in the handling of the Awujale nomination process. The allegations were reported by The Guardian on August 10.
However, the Grand Council of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House subsequently rejected the purported removal, describing the committee as unauthorised and reaffirming its confidence in the affected leaders.
In the latest petition, the ruling house alleged that Adeyemi had been organising meetings in the name of the Otunba Oladokun Ajidagba unit despite previous arrangements to unify the different units within Fusengbuwa.
It also alleged that Adeyemi, Oduneye and others constituted the fact-finding committee without the authority of the recognised organs of the ruling house.
The petition described the alleged activities as “anti-family” and urged Governor Abiodun “not to recognise or engage with what it called an ‘illegal and lawless group.’”
The ruling house maintained that the three units within Fusengbuwa had previously been encouraged to unite and work together in the process of producing candidates for the vacant throne.
It further claimed that its recognised leadership had completed the nomination exercise and forwarded the names through the appropriate channels, warning that attempts to reopen or overturn the process could further aggravate the dispute.
The latest development adds to the growing uncertainty surrounding the succession process, which has been suspended amid petitions and disagreements over the procedure for selecting the next monarch.
The Awujale stool became vacant following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona on July 13, 2025, at the age of 91, after about 65 years on the throne.
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House, which is next in line under the established rotational arrangement, conducted a nomination exercise in January 2026, producing 95 aspirants, comprising 94 princes and one princess. The exercise was subsequently followed by controversy over eligibility and the conduct of the nomination process.
The Ogun State Government had earlier halted the succession exercise after identifying concerns and receiving petitions from stakeholders. In December 2025, the government ordered the process to be restarted, citing procedural issues and the need for compliance with the applicable chieftaincy laws and regulations.
The government later authorised the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to commence its internal selection process in accordance with customary law and Ogun State chieftaincy regulations.
The present dispute, however, has introduced another dimension, with rival groups now laying competing claims to the authority to speak and act on behalf of the ruling house.
The faction led by Adeyemi and Oduneye has maintained that its action was based on a general meeting attended by 115 members of the family and was aimed at restoring what it described as due process and unity.
Oduneye, in defending the faction’s position, said: “Litigation is a civil way of seeking redress. The court will be the best place to establish who has betrayed the House and who is pursuing personal interest at the expense of the collective.”
On its part, the recognised leadership of the ruling house has insisted that the purported removal of its principal officers has no legitimacy and that the succession process should proceed through the established organs of the family.
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House, in its latest petition, appealed to Governor Abiodun to allow its recognised organs to continue with the succession process in line with the relevant law and customary procedures.
It also urged the governor to direct the Awujale Afobajes to return to their assigned responsibilities and allow the traditional selection process to proceed without further interference.
The fresh petition is expected to put further pressure on the Ogun State Government to resolve the competing claims within the ruling house before the process for filling the vacant Awujale stool can proceed.
The prolonged crisis surrounding the selection of the next Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland has taken a fresh turn, as the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode petitioned Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, over the alleged activities of a breakaway faction within the family.
In a petition dated August 15, 2026 and received at the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta on August 17, the ruling house accused former secretary of one of its former units, Adeleke Adeyemi, and his associates of allegedly convening unauthorised meetings, creating a parallel structure and attempting to undermine the recognised leadership of the family.
The petition was signed by the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdul Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi; Deputy Chairman, Otunba Dokun Ajidagba; Vice Chairman, Prof. Fassy Adetokunbo Yusuf; and General Secretary, Pastor Prince I. Bola Salami.
The development comes barely a week after a faction led by Adeyemi and Adeyemo Oduneye announced the removal of Owoyemi, Yusuf and Ajidagba following the submission of a report by a nine-member fact-finding committee.
The committee had accused the three leaders of financial inducement, document manipulation and other alleged irregularities in the handling of the Awujale nomination process. The allegations were reported by The Guardian on August 10.
However, the Grand Council of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House subsequently rejected the purported removal, describing the committee as unauthorised and reaffirming its confidence in the affected leaders.
In the latest petition, the ruling house alleged that Adeyemi had been organising meetings in the name of the Otunba Oladokun Ajidagba unit despite previous arrangements to unify the different units within Fusengbuwa.
It also alleged that Adeyemi, Oduneye and others constituted the fact-finding committee without the authority of the recognised organs of the ruling house.
The petition described the alleged activities as “anti-family” and urged Governor Abiodun “not to recognise or engage with what it called an ‘illegal and lawless group.’”
The ruling house maintained that the three units within Fusengbuwa had previously been encouraged to unite and work together in the process of producing candidates for the vacant throne.
It further claimed that its recognised leadership had completed the nomination exercise and forwarded the names through the appropriate channels, warning that attempts to reopen or overturn the process could further aggravate the dispute.
The latest development adds to the growing uncertainty surrounding the succession process, which has been suspended amid petitions and disagreements over the procedure for selecting the next monarch.
The Awujale stool became vacant following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona on July 13, 2025, at the age of 91, after about 65 years on the throne.
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House, which is next in line under the established rotational arrangement, conducted a nomination exercise in January 2026, producing 95 aspirants, comprising 94 princes and one princess. The exercise was subsequently followed by controversy over eligibility and the conduct of the nomination process.
The Ogun State Government had earlier halted the succession exercise after identifying concerns and receiving petitions from stakeholders. In December 2025, the government ordered the process to be restarted, citing procedural issues and the need for compliance with the applicable chieftaincy laws and regulations.
The government later authorised the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to commence its internal selection process in accordance with customary law and Ogun State chieftaincy regulations.
The present dispute, however, has introduced another dimension, with rival groups now laying competing claims to the authority to speak and act on behalf of the ruling house.
The faction led by Adeyemi and Oduneye has maintained that its action was based on a general meeting attended by 115 members of the family and was aimed at restoring what it described as due process and unity.
Oduneye, in defending the faction’s position, said: “Litigation is a civil way of seeking redress. The court will be the best place to establish who has betrayed the House and who is pursuing personal interest at the expense of the collective.”
On its part, the recognised leadership of the ruling house has insisted that the purported removal of its principal officers has no legitimacy and that the succession process should proceed through the established organs of the family.
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House, in its latest petition, appealed to Governor Abiodun to allow its recognised organs to continue with the succession process in line with the relevant law and customary procedures.
- It also urged the governor to direct the Awujale Afobajes to return to their assigned responsibilities and allow the traditional selection process to proceed without further interference.
