Awujale: Otunba title can’t disqualify anyone, says Ijebu council

The Council of Otunbas in Ijebuland has declared that no law prohibits holders of the Otunba title from ascending the Awujale stool.

This comes amid reports of the alleged disqualification of some of its members by the council of kingmakers in the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

The Otunbas made the clarification in a letter addressed to the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council.

The letter was jointly signed by the council’s chairman, B. Alebiosu; second vice chairman, Akin Osiyemi; and secretary, Ayodele Osibogun.

They stated that holders of the Otunba title have, at various times in history, ascended to obaship positions, stressing that the title has never constituted a barrier to kingship.

According to the council, the Awujale stool is a sacred traditional institution rather than a political office, warning that any selection process that excludes otherwise eligible candidates could result in legal challenges, communal disharmony, and irreparable damage to the integrity of the Ijebu traditional institution.

The Otunbas explained that the letter was written “in the interest of peace, legality, tradition, and historical accuracy concerning the ongoing process for selecting the next Awujale of Ijebu Land.”

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They cited the Chieftaincy Declarations registered in 1957 and approved in 1959, noting that succession to the Awujale stool is governed exclusively by these declarations.

“The Declarations contain no provision, express or implied, that disqualifies an otherwise eligible candidate merely because he previously held the title of Otunba,” the council stated.

They added that any alleged customary rule not expressly incorporated into the registered Declarations has no legal effect following their promulgation.

The statement comes amid ongoing discussions over eligibility for the next Awujale of Ijebuland, with some narratives introducing purported disqualifications that, according to the Otunbas, lack foundation in law or registered custom.

The Star