The Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, has petitioned Governor Dapo Abiodun over the emergence of a breakaway faction within the family, urging the state government not to recognise or engage the group in connection with the ongoing process for the selection of the next Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.
The ruling house also appealed to the governor to lift the over seven-month-old suspension of the selection process and allow the recognised kingmakers, otherwise known as the Awujale Afobajes, to resume their responsibilities and conclude the process.
The petition, dated August 15, 2026, was signed by the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdul Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi; Deputy Chairman, Otunba Oladokun Ajidagba; Vice Chairman, Prof. Fassy Adetokunboh Yusuf; and General Secretary, Pastor Prince J. Bola Salami.
Submitted to the Governor’s Office on Monday, the petition was also copied to the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Secretary to the State Government; Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government; and Chairman of the Awujale Afobajes Council.
The petitioners alleged that a group led by Adeleke Adeyemi, said to have previously belonged to the Otunba Ajidagba Unit of the ruling house, had embarked on activities capable of creating division within the family.
They described the group as an “illegal and lawless” breakaway faction and urged Governor Abiodun to discountenance any correspondence or request for recognition emanating from it.
The petition stated: “We wish to bring to Your Excellency’s attention the unorthodox formation and unlawful activities by some rebellious contestants to the Awujale stool, led by one Adeleke Adeyemi.”
According to the ruling house, the three units of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House had previously worked together under a collegiate arrangement to nominate candidates for the vacant Awujale stool.
The petitioners alleged that Adeyemi had subsequently convened meetings purportedly on behalf of the Olori Ebi of the Ajidagba Unit and, alongside Ridwan Oduneye, constituted what they called a “Fact Finding Committee” which they claimed was established to undermine the reputation of some leaders of the ruling house.
They further alleged that the activities of the committee were inconsistent with a subsisting judgment of the Ijebu-Ode High Court in Suit No. HCJ/18/2014, which, according to them, restrained one unit of the ruling house from interfering in the affairs of another.
The ruling house also alleged that the breakaway group convened a meeting where moves were made to remove the three recognised Olori Ebis of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House—Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf.
The three leaders, according to the petitioners, played central roles in the nomination process for candidates to fill the vacant Awujale stool.
The ruling house maintained that the nomination exercise was conducted peacefully and in accordance with the applicable law, declaration and traditional practices governing the succession process.
The petitioners also referred to an earlier petition submitted to the governor in January 2026 by counsel to Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, Dr Wahab Shittu, SAN.
They alleged that Oduneye’s name appeared in the earlier petition among persons who claimed to have been disenfranchised from the nomination exercise.
The ruling house, however, argued that Oduneye and others were not selected to participate in the exercise by their family, explaining that the decision was necessitated by the limited capacity of the venue.
The petition further alleged that Oduneye and his father had previously admitted visiting KWAM 1 at his residence to sign a Fusengbuwa Ruling House membership form on behalf of the musician in an attempt to facilitate his participation as an aspirant for the Awujale stool.
The ruling house described the alleged action as sacrilegious, insisting that the Fuji musician was not a member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
The petitioners expressed concern that the alleged breakaway group had begun communicating with the state government in an attempt to secure recognition and reverse what they described as the achievements already recorded in the Awujale succession process.
They warned that such activities could undermine the unity of the ruling house and frustrate its constitutional and traditional responsibility to produce the next Awujale.
The petitioners said they believed the group was being used to cause division within the family and urged Governor Abiodun to remain committed to what they described as the legitimate leadership structure of the ruling house.
They further appealed to the governor to direct the Afobajes to resume and complete their role in the succession process.
“We passionately urge Your Excellency to discountenance these distracting and destructive elements and direct the Afobajes to return to and complete their assigned role in this historic process,” the petition stated.
However, reacting to the petition, Oduneye, speaking on behalf of the breakaway group, rejected the allegations and accused the ruling house leadership of attempting to distract and confuse members of the public.
He said the group’s current position was focused on restructuring the ruling house rather than interfering in the Awujale selection process.
“I am aware of the petition. We are only talking about the restructuring of our house and not about the selection process. This is not a matter that has anything to do with the government,” Oduneye said.
He maintained that the group was demanding explanations from the ruling house leadership over allegations of financial inducement, among other issues.
“We are only saying that they should come and defend the allegations of financial inducement among others against them. The truth is that our decision concerning their removal stands because it was a family decision,” he added.
The development follows an earlier dispute over the status of the three recognised leaders of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf had rejected their purported removal by the breakaway group and indicated their intention to pursue legal action against the Fact Finding Committee, following allegations of financial inducement connected with the Awujale selection process.
The three leaders denied the allegations and described them as false, while threatening legal redress against what they considered an unauthorised attempt to remove them from their positions.
Oduneye, who serves as Secretary of the Fact Finding Committee, however, maintained that the committee stood by its decision and that the three leaders remained removed following the family meeting held on August 9, 2026.
He said members of the family had no objection to the threatened court action, describing litigation as a legitimate avenue for resolving the dispute.
“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,” Oduneye said.
The latest development adds another layer to the prolonged controversy surrounding the succession to the late Awujale of Ijebuland, as competing positions within the Fusengbuwa Ruling House continue to raise questions over the leadership, nomination process and eventual selection of the next monarch.
Leave a comment