The Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode has raised fresh concerns over the continued delay in the selection and appointment of a new Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, alleging interference in the process and a growing dispute over the leadership of the ruling house.
The Olori Ebi of the ruling house, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, made the allegations on Saturday while speaking with Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese, Ijebu, where he also rejected a planned press conference scheduled for Sunday, September 20, 2026, which he said was intended to announce another person as Olori Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Owoyemi described the planned announcement as invalid and maintained that the leadership structure recognised by his faction of the ruling house remained intact. The development comes amid a longstanding dispute within the Fusengbuwa family over its leadership and the process of producing the next Awujale.
According to Owoyemi, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House had completed its own stage of the nomination process within the period prescribed for it. He said the house was given 14 days to complete its internal process but concluded the exercise within 10 days, after which the required documents and names of candidates were submitted to the Awujale kingmakers.
He said the kingmakers were expected to complete their own stage within seven days and forward a single candidate to the Ogun State Government for the next stage of the process.
Owoyemi questioned why the process had remained stalled, alleging that individuals within the family were being encouraged by interested persons within the state government structure to create a parallel process capable of undermining the authority of the ruling house.
He further alleged that the subsequent stage of the selection process was halted following petitions and security reports which, according to him, were not made available to the ruling house for response.
The latest development follows an ongoing court battle over both the Awujale succession process and the leadership of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
The ruling house had filed Suit No. HCJ/149/2026 before the Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode, seeking orders relating to the stalled selection process involving the Governor, the kingmakers and other parties. The case was filed on August 21, 2026, and has been adjourned to September 23 after a vacation judge returned the matter to the administrative judge for reassignment.
The leadership of the ruling house also instituted another suit on September 16, 2026, identified as HCJ/167/2026, against members of the family over alleged attempts to parade themselves as leaders or interfere with the existing leadership structure.
The leadership dispute is not new. In August, the Grand Council of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House reaffirmed Owoyemi as its Chairman/Olori Ebi alongside other members of its leadership, rejecting an earlier purported decision by some members to remove them.
There have also been previous disagreements over the succession process. In May 2026, the Fusengbuwa leadership appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to lift the suspension of the selection process, after the Ogun State Government halted the exercise amid allegations of bribery and financial inducement. The ruling house denied wrongdoing and called for the process to resume.
The latest allegations of government interference have not been independently established. The Ogun State Government had previously assured the Fusengbuwa Ruling House that it would not allow outsiders or other ruling houses to interfere in its internal succession process. In September 2025, the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, said government would ensure that the appropriate process was followed.
The Awujale stool has remained vacant since the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona on July 13, 2025, after 65 years on the throne.
With the September 23 court date approaching and a fresh suit over the leadership of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House now before the courts, the dispute over the succession process and who has authority to speak for the ruling house is expected to remain a major issue in the search for the next Awujale of Ijebuland.
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