Awujale Stool: ‘Ijebu-Ode can’t remain Kingless’ — Fusengbuwa Ruling house

Mercy Iheoma Ihedigbo

A vacation judge of the Ogun State High Court, sitting in Ijebu-Ode, Justice A. A. Omoniyi, on Wednesday returned a suit filed by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House over the selection of the next Awujale of Ijebuland to the administrative judge for reassignment.

Justice Omoniyi, who presided over Court 3, said he would commence his annual vacation within the next, one week and might not return to judicial duties until January 2027.

The judge said he was aware of the urgency of the suit, numbered HCJ/149/2026 and filed on August 21, 2026, but explained that the limited time available to him before his vacation made it difficult to conclude the matter.

He therefore directed, in the interim, that the case file be returned to the administrative judge for reassignment.

The matter was adjourned to September 23, 2026, for mention before the appropriate judge.

Justice Omoniyi said he did not see the possibility of completing all that was required in the case before the scheduled date, given the limited time available to him before his annual vacation.

According to him, the circumstances surrounding the case, the interest of justice and the need for the matter to progress compelled him to return the file to the administrative judge.

He said the administrative judge could either assign the matter to another judge returning from vacation or decide to retain it, adding that the arrangement would enable the case to be mentioned on September 23.

All defendants served

Earlier, counsel to the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Olusegun Otayemi, told the court that all 15 defendants had been duly served and that the family was ready to proceed with the suit.

Asiwaju Kunle Kalejaiye, SAN, who announced his appearance for the seventh to 15th defendants, including the kingmakers, alongside Stephen Abolaji Okoya, Esq., said the defendants were still within the stipulated period to respond to the suit.

W. A. Onawole, a state counsel, also announced his appearance for Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state and other defendants.

The defence counsel said the defendants would file their respective responses within the stipulated time.

Also present in court were members of the kingmakers’ council, led by the Awujale Regent, Olorogun (Dr.) Sunny Kuku, co-founder of EKO Hospital and the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland.

Others present included the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi; his deputy, Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba; and the Vice Chairman, Prof. Fassy Yusuf.

‘Government should leave kingmakers to do their job’

Speaking with Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, after the court sitting, Kalejaiye said the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was asking the court to direct the government to stop interfering in the selection process and allow the Afobajes, or kingmakers, to perform their statutory responsibilities.

He said the appointment of recognised chiefs was governed by the Chiefs Law and that the process was subject to specific timelines.

“The truth of the matter is that the Afobajes that I represent have been brought to court by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, saying that they want the court to order the government to leave its big feet from the selection process which has been commenced,” he said.

“They’re asking for an order for the Afobajes to do their job and for the government to go and do their job.

“And I think it’s a very simple matter, really. Because I think the issue of the appointment of any recognised chief is governed by the Chiefs Law. And these are time-calibrated.

“You know, seven days, 14 days, 21 days. So, I think, from the point of view of the Afobajes, they want to do their job and leave the Jebus and Awujale.”

On the court’s decision to return the file to the administrative judge, Kalejaiye explained that Justice Omoniyi had been sitting as a vacation judge and would soon proceed on his annual vacation.

“Well, the position is that the court said that it’s a vacation judge and as such would not want to start the matter now. We’ll return the file to the administrative judge, who will either assign it to herself or give it to another judge to do. But if the administrative judge says he should continue, they will come back on the 23rd of September,” he said.

‘Deliberate stoppage not permitted’ — Otayemi

On his part, Otayemi said the Fusengbuwa Ruling House approached the court to challenge what it described as government interference in the process of selecting the next Awujale.

He said the selection process had commenced before it was stopped.

“Well, we’ve brought an action, essentially, because there was a stoppage of the selection process after it had been initiated. And the law, as we know it, does not permit a deliberate stoppage,” Otayemi said.

“Yes, if there are things that cause delays here and there, that can be excused, but not a deliberate, orchestrated stoppage. That’s why we are in court.”

He said the matter was urgent because of the prolonged vacancy of the Awujale stool.

“This matter is something that has some urgency in it. Ijebu-Ode cannot remain kingless for so long. And that’s one of the reasons why we are in court,” he said.

‘We cant wait forever’ — Ruling House Chairman

Also speaking with Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, said the family had approached the court because it could not afford to wait indefinitely for the next Awujale to emerge from the ruling house.

Owoyemi said the ruling house had completed its part of the process within the period it understood the law to prescribe.

“We waited for seven months. We had only 14 days by the law do what we have done. And we did it within 10 days, and immediately we delivered the papers to the kingmakers, they only had seven days to finish and appoint an Awujale,” he said.

He alleged that the process was subsequently halted following petitions and a security report which, according to him, the ruling house had not been given access to.

“From nowhere, a letter came asking that the whole thing stop because of what they call petitions, which we never saw. We don’t know who wrote the petitions, the security report, which we have never seen a copy of till today’s date,” he said.

Owoyemi said the ruling house had waited for several months and appealed to religious and community leaders to help resolve the matter.

“And we’ve been waiting for seven months! The Imam, the Muslims of Ijebuland, and the Christians of Ijebuland have tried all they could in the whole world to have access to the governor so that this matter can move forward, but nothing has happened! We can’t wait forever! And we have to approach the court for intervention,” he said.

Background

The Fusengbuwa Ruling House had instituted the suit against Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Ogun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the state Executive Council, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Secretary of Ijebu-Ode Local Government and members of the Awujale Afobaje/Kingmakers Council.

The suit, numbered HCJ/149/2026 and dated August 21, 2026, was filed by Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Prof. Chief Fassy Yusuf on behalf of the ruling house.

The kingmakers named as defendants include Olorogun Sonny Kuku, Chief Rasheed Adesanya, Chief Oluwaranti Lekan Osifeso, Chief Jimi Lawal, Chief Abimbola Okenla, Chief Kunle Ogunade, Chief Agboola Alausa, Chief Adebisi Adaran and Chief Ayotunde Ola Odulaja.

Among other reliefs, the claimants are asking the court to determine whether the state government had the legal authority to order or facilitate the alleged entry into and locking of the Awujale Palace on January 20, 2026, which they contend was intended to prevent the kingmakers from convening and concluding the statutory selection process for a new Awujale.

They are also asking the court to determine whether the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law 2021 permits the state government to halt the nomination or selection process for the Awujale “under any guise.”

The claimants further seek a determination that, having convened a meeting of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and completed its internal nomination process within the period prescribed by law, the family had discharged its statutory responsibility under Section 16 of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021.

The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona at the age of 91, after 65 years on the throne.

The Ogun State Government halted the selection process in January 2026, citing petitions from security agencies and stakeholders, following an earlier suspension over procedural concerns in December 2025.

A total of 95 aspirants—94 princes and one princess—emerged from the ruling house nomination process held in Ijebu-Ode in December before the government halted the process.

The case is expected to come up for mention on September 23, 2026.