Ogun govt halts Awujale succession, orders Fusengbuwa ruling house to restart process

By Ademola Adekusibe
18th December 2025

The Ogun State Government has suspended the ongoing succession process for the Awujale of Ijebuland and directed the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to restart the nomination exercise, citing procedural lapses that could trigger legal disputes.

The decision followed the ruling house’s move to convene a meeting on December 15 to nominate a successor to the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who died in July at the age of 91. However, the meeting was later postponed after state government intervention.

Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Abdulateef Owoyemi, confirmed that the state halted the process to ensure strict compliance with the 2021 Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law and the 1957 Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration, warning that any deviation could expose the process to litigation.

Vice chairman of the ruling house, Fassy Yusuf, said the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, summoned ruling house members and kingmakers to review the process and subsequently ordered its cancellation and restart. He added that the earlier letter granting Fusengbuwa 14 days to submit nominees had been withdrawn.

According to Yusuf, the ruling house will begin afresh once a new directive is issued, stressing the need for transparency and strict adherence to legal provisions, especially with over 60 princes reportedly vying for the throne.

The Awujale succession has been contentious since Oba Adetona’s death, with rival ruling houses laying claims to the stool. Although Fusengbuwa is widely considered next in line, the Fidipote Ruling House had earlier petitioned the government, arguing that Fusengbuwa forfeited its right by failing to meet statutory deadlines.

The state government’s intervention is aimed at preventing prolonged disputes and ensuring a lawful, orderly, and credible succession process for one of Yorubaland’s most revered traditional stools.