Awujale selection: Ruling house urges Abiodun to lift suspension

The Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, has appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to lift the embargo on the selection of a new Awujale and allow kingmakers to conclude the process.

The head of the ruling house, Abdulateef Owoyemi, said members of the royal family and Ijebu indigenes at home and abroad were increasingly frustrated by the prolonged suspension of the exercise.

Owoyemi noted that major cultural and religious events, including the annual Ojude Oba festival, require coordination and leadership, stressing that residents were eager to see a new monarch installed.

He described the kingmakers as men of integrity and urged the state government to remove distractions and allow the process to be completed promptly.

The Ogun State Government had halted the selection process for the second time last month following petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders. The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, said the decision was taken to address concerns raised about the process.

The government also dismissed reports that Prince Ademorin Aliu Kuye had been chosen as the next Awujale through an Ifa oracle, insisting that no candidate had been endorsed and that the process would follow established laws, customs and procedures.

The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 after the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for 65 years.

During a nomination meeting in Ijebu Ode, 95 candidates — including 94 princes and one princess from the Fusengbuwa ruling house — were put forward before the process was suspended.

Kuye, a member of the House of Representatives representing Somolu Federal Constituency, denied claims that he had presented himself as Awujale-elect or commissioned a song celebrating his emergence. He said he was not desperate for the throne and would not act outside the law.

In response, princes and princesses of the ruling house accused him of parading himself as Awujale-elect, warning that such actions could create tension in Ijebuland. They called on the state government to caution him and ensure the succession process remains orderly.

Kuye dismissed the allegations as baseless, suggesting the viral song praising him may have been produced by detractors, and reiterated his support for the government’s decision to follow due process in selecting the next Awujale.