A motion seeking to halt all further steps in the selection of the next Awujale of Ijebuland is expected to be heard on Monday before an Ijebu-Ode High Court, following a suit filed by an aspirant to the vacant royal stool, Otunba Wasiu Olasunkanmi Ayinde Adesanya Marshall.
Marshall, who described himself as a bona fide aspirant to the Awujale stool, is asking the court to grant an interim injunction restraining the Ogun State Government and other respondents from continuing with the nomination, selection or installation process pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The applicant hinged his application on Section 36(6)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), arguing that allowing the process to continue would amount to a denial of his right to fair hearing.
He insisted that the interim order is necessary to preserve the subject matter of the dispute and protect his interest as an aspirant, warning that failure to restrain the respondents could render any eventual decision of the court nugatory.
Joined as respondents in the suit are the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun; the Executive Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government; the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; the Attorney-General of Ogun State; the Secretary, Ijebu-Ode Local Government; the Chairman, Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council; and the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Allegations of Procedural Breach
In his supporting affidavit, Marshall alleged that the process for nominating a new Awujale must, under the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, be initiated by the Secretary to the Local Government and not by any unrecognised body.
He challenged the role allegedly played by the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council, which he claimed lacks the legal authority to supervise, initiate or influence the nomination process.
The applicant also faulted the alleged failure of the Ijebu-Ode Local Government to publish the names of the 13 recognised kingmakers before commencing the process, as required by law.
Marshall further told the court that his purported disqualification by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, conveyed via a letter dated 11 December 2025, was carried out without affording him or his family an opportunity to be heard.
He maintained that the action was premature, unlawful and a violation of his constitutional right to fair hearing, particularly as it occurred before the lawful commencement of the nomination process.
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