The Grand Council of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, has rejected the purported removal of its chairman, Abdulateef Owoyemi, his deputy, Oladokun Ajidagba, and vice chairman, Prof Fassy Yusuf.
The council, at a meeting on Wednesday, passed a vote of confidence in the three leaders and dismissed the committee that announced their removal as an illegitimate body without authority to act on behalf of the ruling house.
The trio were reportedly removed following allegations of financial inducement, document manipulation and other irregularities in the process of selecting the next Awujale of Ijebuland.
Addressing journalists in Ijebu-Ode, Owoyemi described the committee as a “kangaroo committee” and accused its members of attempting to undermine the leadership of the ruling house and influence the selection of the next monarch.
He said the allegations of financial inducement against the leadership were baseless, adding that the family had concluded plans to seek legal redress over what he described as defamation.
Owoyemi explained that the ruling house had previously been divided into three factions but that the groups were reconciled following the intervention of the Ogun State Government.
According to him, he was subsequently elected chairman and Olori-Ebi, Ajidagba became deputy chairman and Igbakeji Olori-Ebi, while Yusuf was elected vice chairman and Eta Olori-Ebi.
He said Pastor Jeremiah Salami was appointed secretary, Alhaji Adebisi Quadri treasurer and Abiodun Ogidan publicity secretary.
Owoyemi said representatives from the three former factions were later constituted into a 12-member delegation to the Ogun State Government, which subsequently became the management committee of the Grand Council.
Three additional members were later co-opted, bringing the council’s membership to 15.
He maintained that none of the individuals who announced the removal of the leadership was a member of the Grand Council and therefore lacked the authority to convene meetings or establish committees on behalf of the ruling house.
Owoyemi accused the group of attempting to disrupt the family’s entitlement to produce the next Awujale.
He said members of the group would be challenged in court over alleged defamation and other actions against the ruling house.
The council urged the Ogun State Government and members of the public to disregard resolutions and allegations emanating from what it described as the purported fact-finding committee.
It reaffirmed the integrity and capacity of Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf to continue managing the affairs of the ruling house.
Owoyemi also appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to lift the embargo on the Awujale selection process, saying the prolonged suspension was creating room for controversy.
Yusuf, who also spoke at the briefing, urged the state government to allow the kingmakers to resume the process of selecting a new monarch.
He said the ruling house had written to the government in May asking it to allow the kingmakers to perform their constitutional role.
Yusuf argued that the government lacked legal authority to halt the selection process, although he said the family would continue to appeal for a review of the decision.
He warned that the family could consider other options if the government refused to lift the embargo.
However, the secretary of the fact-finding committee, Ridwan Oduneye, rejected the allegations that members of the group were impostors or were attempting to overthrow the ruling house leadership.
Oduneye said the group was working to restore due process, unity and integrity to the Fusegbuwa/Jadiara Ruling House.
He said their actions were based on the findings of the fact-finding committee and a resolution reached at a general meeting of the ruling house on August 9, 2026.
According to him, the meeting was attended by 115 members from different lineages and resolved to remove Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf while appointing Prince Adeleke Adeyemi as interim secretary and authorised signatory pending the election of a new Olori-Ebi.
Oduneye welcomed the threat of legal action, saying the courts would provide an avenue to determine which side had acted in the interest of the ruling house.
He also denied having any personal interest in the dispute, noting that his grandfather, the late Omooba Adebanjo Oduneye Eruobodo, had previously served as Olori-Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
The dispute follows the report of a nine-member fact-finding committee constituted in June to investigate allegations of financial inducement and other irregularities against the ruling house leadership in connection with the Awujale selection process.
The committee, chaired by Olusegun Olusoga, reportedly submitted a 25-page report before the faction led by Adeleke Adeyemi announced the removal of the three leaders on Sunday.
According to Oduneye, only Owoyemi appeared before the committee, while Ajidagba and Yusuf declined its invitation.
He said the committee found a breakdown of unity, communication and cohesion among the three leaders and alleged that the compilation and submission of candidates for the Awujale selection lacked transparency, due process and proper screening.
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 following petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders. The process had earlier been suspended in December 2025 over procedural concerns.
A total of 95 aspirants, comprising 94 princes and one princess, emerged from the ruling house nomination exercise held in Ijebu-Ode in December before the government suspended the process.
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