“If things are to be done properly and in line with our tradition, the next Awujale should come from the Olufadi lineage. Even the late Oba Adetona himself often acknowledged this historical order.” — Princess Sidikat Onasanya
An 80-year-old matriarch and highly respected custodian of Ijebu royal heritage, Princess Sidikat Onasanya (née Adebisi), has reignited the debate over who is rightfully qualified to ascend the revered Awujale of Ijebuland stool, declaring that only the Olufadi or Tunwase royal families of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House are traditionally eligible.
Princess Onasanya, the eldest child of the late Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi Obanlefa, made this assertion in a press statement presented to journalists in Ijebu-Ode on October 22, 2025. Her submission, she explained, was anchored on “historical, oral and gazetted records” that clearly define the succession structure within the Fusengbuwa Ruling House — the next in line to produce the Awujale of Ijebuland.
According to her, the Ijebu-Ode Royal Gazette leaves no ambiguity. “If there are no qualified princes from the Abidagba Okurin lineages — that is, the Olufadi or Tunwase families — then and only then may consideration extend to the Abidagba Obirin branches, followed by those from the Abidoye lineage,” she clarified.
Princess Onasanya described the Fusengbuwa Ruling House as comprising eight branches: Olufadi and Tunwase (the Abidagba Okurin male lines); Shenowo, Okunyandewo, Adebiyi, and Adeberu (the Abidagba Obirin female lines); and Oshinuga and Adekenu, representing the Abidoye branches born before Fusengbuwa’s ascension.
She recounted that Oba Fusengbuwa, who mounted the throne in 1790, had eight wives and eight children — Idi-Igi Mejo. Of these, two were born before his coronation, while six were born afterward.
“The first male child born on the throne was Olufadekemi, known as Olufadi, followed by Ali Adesimbo, later called Tunwase. These two lines represent the first legitimate royal sons of Fusengbuwa,” she narrated.
Princess Onasanya also recalled the leadership of her father, Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi Obanlefa, who served as Olori-Ebi (family head) of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House for 25 years (1988–2013). During his tenure, he worked closely with the late Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, ensuring peaceful coordination of family affairs until his passing at age 96 in 2013.
She traced the royal lineage further, noting that Folagbade Adenuga, a descendant of Ali Adesimbo Tunwase, became Awujale in 1925 but was later dethroned. Subsequently, her great-grandfather, Oduwole Obanlefa of the Olufadi branch, was nominated in 1929 but his appointment was halted after objections from the Fidipote family. “The Tunwase family has had its turn; it is now the turn of the Olufadi descendants of Obanlefa to be considered,” she declared.
Reiterating her conviction, the octogenarian royal stated that the Ile-Nla compound, regarded as the ancestral home of the Fusengbuwa dynasty, recognizes only Olufadi and Tunwase as legitimate claimants to the throne — except when no surviving male heirs exist within their lines.
She emphasized that, both culturally and legally, the Olufadi lineage, being the first male born on the throne, deserves precedence — a position consistent with the 1959 Chiefs Law.
Princess Onasanya also highlighted the vastness of the Fusengbuwa family, which she said accounts for nearly 40% of Ijebu-Ode’s royal descendants.
Her message, however, was as much a call for unity as for authenticity.
“Our traditions must not be diluted by convenience,” she concluded. “The integrity of Ijebu royalty rests on doing things the proper way — by truth, by heritage, and by history.”
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