Awujale: 95 Princes, one Princess eye vacant stool

At least 95 members of the Fusengbuwa ruling house of Ijebu Ode, including 94 princes and one princess, have declared their interest in the vacant stool of the Awujale, the traditional ruler of Ijebu land.

The contestants were announced on Monday during a nomination meeting held at Bisrod Hall, GRA, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

The meeting was led by the ruling house chairman, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, alongside his deputy, Prince Adedokun Ajidagba, and Vice Chairman, Prof. Fassy Yusuf.

Also present were the Secretary to the Ijebu Ode Local Government, Abiodun Oke, and other local government officials who attended as observers.

Some of the contestants include Giwa Abiodun Onanuga, husband of a former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga; Dr Kunle Hassan, a renowned ophthalmologist and founder of Eyes Foundation Hospital; and Otunba Fatai Arowolo of Aron Construction, among others.

The only female contestant is Oluwakemi Onanuga, a lawyer.

The Awujale stool became vacant in July last year following the demise of the 91-year-old Oba Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for 65 years.

The contestants at the nomination meeting were represented by two of their relatives.

One of the relations moved the motion for the nomination, while the other seconded it, after which the family registered the nomination as accepted.

Speaking with journalists at the end of the nomination meeting, the family head of Fusengbuwa, Owoyemi, lauded family members for conducting themselves peacefully and ensuring that nothing untoward occurred that could jeopardise the nomination process.

Owoyemi said that, just as the Ifa oracle had foretold, the family was working across the board to ensure that whoever would assume the vacant Awujale stool would further take Ijebu land to greater heights.

The family head and former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria said, “We thank God that what we have feared so much has finally come and gone peacefully.

“We have successfully, peacefully and harmoniously nominated our candidates, 95 of them. It is now left in the hands of the kingmakers to do a very good job conscientiously and pick one of them as the next Awujale.

“The Fusengbuwa family has done a lot of traditional research through the Ifa oracle to guide us on what should be done, and we have no doubt that the kingmakers are going to select the person that the Almighty God himself has appointed. We believe that, by God’s grace, in the next one month, we should have the next Awujale.”

Owoyemi also said that the contestants had earlier signed an agreement to accept the outcome of the selection process and not pursue litigation, adding that the family expected each contestant to abide by the agreement.

He further said that the ruling house believed the government would do the right thing and “pick for the family the Awujale that has been foretold would make Ijebu land the biggest and greatest. We believe God will guide them aright.”

Recall that the selection of a new Awujale has, for some time, generated considerable interest, with Ayinde, popularly called KWAM1, also declaring interest in the throne.

The Fusengbuwa family, the ruling house to produce the next Awujale, however, declared that the legendary Fuji musician was not a member of the family and therefore could not be allowed to be part of the selection process.

Ayinde had approached the state High Court sitting in Ijebu Ode, seeking an interim injunction restraining Governor Dapo Abiodun and six others from proceeding with the selection process of the new Awujale.

The court refused to grant the injunction, holding that the application lacked merit.

Ayinde, through his lawyer, however, withdrew the suit, although no tangible reason was offered.

In a recent letter dated January 8 and written to Governor Abiodun by Dr Wahab Shittu, SAN, lawyer to the musician, it was stated that the Ijebu Ode Local Government, through a letter written by its Secretary, Abiodun Oke, dated January 6, 2026, gave the government’s nod for the ruling house to kick off the selection process of the new paramount ruler of Ijebu land.

He stated that it was surprising that, while members of the family were preparing for the meeting, one Prince Adeleye Lateef Ademuyiwa, the Public Relations Officer of the family, issued a notice directing candidates to pick up nomination cards and appear before a screening committee under the chairmanship of Prince Alhaji Mitiu Adenuga.

Ayinde further stated that the directive fixed the nomination exercise for Monday, January 12, 2026, but also directed that the exercise would be conducted by delegates to be selected at a meeting scheduled for January 10, 2026.

Shittu said, “It is a matter of deep concern to our client that all the illegal directives that are unknown to the Chieftaincy Declaration, Obas and Chiefs Law, and the letter of the Secretary of Ijebu Ode Local Government were included in the letter of the family to the local government dated January 6, 2026.

“It is clear that there are plans by the leadership of the ruling house to disenfranchise members of the ruling house desirous of participating in the exercise of nomination of candidates to fill the vacancy occurring in the stool of Awujale of Ijebu land.”

The lawyer said his client took exception to the directive from the family, as it was obvious that the ruling house was determined to exclude him from contesting for the throne.

When contacted, the Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, confirmed receipt of the letter but described it as “arrant nonsense” and a misguided letter of no consequence to the ongoing selection process.

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