Afobaje Council berates Olisa over ‘Unauthorized’ letter to Governor Abiodun

Michael Olumide

Controversy surrounding the selection of a new Awujale of Ijebuland has taken another dramatic turn, with the Awujale Afobaje Council strongly rejecting claims by the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Rasheed Adesanya, that he is the chairman of the kingmakers’ council, insisting that the traditional succession process remains suspended by the Ogun State Government.

The council also distanced itself from a letter reportedly written by the Olisa to Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in which he allegedly forwarded names of prospective candidates for the vacant Awujale stool.

Speaking during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, the Secretary of the Afobaje Council, Chief Ayotunde Ola Odulaja, described the letter as unauthorized, misleading and of no consequence, stressing that the council had neither reconvened nor taken any decision since the government halted the selection process earlier this year.

According to Odulaja, the Ogun State Government officially suspended the selection exercise on January 20, 2026, through a directive communicated by the Secretary to the Local Government, Hon. Oke Adebanjo.

He explained that the suspension came shortly after nominees had been submitted to the Afobaje Council and that members immediately complied with the directive.

“As law-abiding citizens, we have not sat in council since January 20, 2026. We have held no meetings whatsoever, and we are not aware of any letter said to have emanated from the palace or the residence of the Olisa. We are not a party to that letter,” he said.

Odulaja further questioned the authenticity of the document, particularly the title allegedly adopted by the Olisa, saying the council did not recognize him by the royal appellation reportedly used in the correspondence.

“We don’t know anyone by that appellation. The Olisa of Ijebu-Ode is a chief like all of us, and I don’t think that letter deserves any recognition,” he added.

The Afobaje secretary firmly rejected suggestions that the Olisa heads the kingmakers’ council, maintaining that the recognized chairman of the Afobaje Council is the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Dr. Sonny Kuku.

According to him, any official correspondence relating to the selection of an Awujale should ordinarily be addressed to the council chairman rather than the Olisa.

“The governor or any government official would have addressed such correspondence to the chairman of the Afobaje Council, who is Chief Dr. Sonny Kuku. The Olisa is not the chairman of this council,” he stated.

Odulaja disclosed that the Afobaje Council consists of nine members, with the Olisa being only one among them.

“There are nine of us. Chief Dr. Sonny Kuku is the chairman, I serve as secretary, and there are seven other members, including the Olisa,” he explained.

He acknowledged that while the Olisa serves as head of the Ilamuren Council, that role does not automatically make him chairman of the Afobaje Council, which is the body legally empowered to select a new Awujale.

“The Ilamuren are the administrative chiefs of the palace. That is entirely different from the Afobaje Council, whose responsibilities are clearly defined under the law governing the selection of an Awujale,” Odulaja said.

He further revealed that when the current Afobaje Council was constituted, members collectively elected Chief Dr. Sonny Kuku as chairman, following a nomination by the Olisa himself.

“When we constituted the council, Chief Rasheed Adesanya nominated Chief Sonny Kuku as chairman, and everyone agreed. I was equally nominated and accepted as secretary,” he disclosed.

Odulaja also distinguished between the interim administrative committee set up following the death of the late Awujale and the statutory Afobaje Council, stressing that both bodies perform separate functions.

He noted that reports suggesting Governor Dapo Abiodun requested the controversial letter had already been contradicted by the Ogun State Government.

“The story was that the governor requested the letter, but this morning the state government refuted that allegation. So I don’t know where that claim came from. The letter itself is dated April 14, yet we have not held any meeting since January,” he said.

According to him, members of the Afobaje Council have had no official engagement with the Olisa since the suspension took effect.

Responding to questions over the use of the title “Alaiyeluwa” by the Olisa, Odulaja insisted that there is only one recognized monarch in Ijebuland.

“The Olisa is not an Oba. There cannot be two kings in one kingdom. The Awujale is the paramount ruler of Ijebuland. The Olisa, like every other traditional chief, remains a chief,” he declared.

He dismissed suggestions that the Olisa had attained any status equivalent to that of a monarch, saying he had never regarded him as anything other than a fellow chief.

Odulaja further linked the current controversy to longstanding disagreements between the Olisa and the late Awujale, Oba Dr. Kayode Sikiru Adetona.

According to him, previous disputes reportedly arose over similar claims of elevated traditional status, adding that the latest development appears to be another attempt to assert influence following the passing of the revered monarch.

“Now that the Awujale has gone, he feels it is time to have his own pound of flesh. But I don’t believe that will happen under the present administration. That is why we have come out to reject this behaviour,” he said.

The Afobaje Council reiterated that the succession process for the Awujale stool remains officially suspended and insisted that no legitimate meeting, deliberation or nomination has taken place since the government’s directive.

With the revered throne of the Awujale of Ijebuland still vacant, the council maintained that all stakeholders must await further instructions from the Ogun State Government before the traditional selection process can lawfully resume.