Traditionalists and hundreds of members of Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebuland yesterday stormed Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona Archway and marched to the Ijebu Ode Local Government Headquarters in Itooro in protest over alleged plot by powerful interests to foist the next Awujale on the kingmakers, the Fusengbuwa house and the Ijebu nation.
The Awujale stool became vacant on July 13, 2025 following the demise of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who joined his ancestors at 91 after 65 years on the throne.
Fusengbuwa is the next in line to produce the next Awujale and The Nation reports that the Ogun State Government had in a circular dated January 20, 2026 stopped the kingmakers from taking further steps to select a candidate out of the 95 nominees earlier submitted to them by leaders of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House – Otunba Lateef Owoyemi (Olori Ebi), Prince Adedokun Ajidagba (Deputy Olori Ebi) and Professor Fassy Yusuf (Vice Chairman).
The state government circular stopping the process was signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat; a development that has continued to fuel allegations that Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration was interfering with the process ostensibly to impose a candidate. But the government denied the allegations.
However, not persuaded by the state government’s reasons for halting the kingmakers’ assignment, Fusengbuwa royal family members and some traditionalists, armed with placards bearing different inscriptions, took the streets coursing through Odo-Egbo, Itale and palace road before terminating the peaceful protest at the Itooro Local Government Headquarters where they were received by the LG chairman, Dare Alebiosu.
Some of their placards read: “Fusengbuwa say no to imposition”, “Let Ifa oracle determine the next Awujale” and “Let the kingmakers do their job, we say no to imposition.”
Mrs Adejugba Obileye, who led the protest, said that they elected to storm the local government and register their displeasure over the alleged plot by the state government to hijack the process and impose a candidate on the kingmakers.
Speaking on behalf of the family, she called for the opening of the palace and urged government to steer clear of any imposition plot.
Obileye, who is also the Aremobinrin Jadiara, a unit of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, said that the Fusengbuwa is the next in line to fill the vacant Awujale stool, wondering why the selection process was put in abeyance for the second time within a month when the kingmakers were already doing what was expected of them traditionally and in line with the extant laws.
She cautioned that the stool of Awujale is sacred, and should not be sacrificed on the altar of politics or any pecuniary gains.
Obileye said: “We are at the Ijebu Ode Local Government Secretariat to register our displeasure over the closure of the palace and the alleged plan to impose on us the next Awujale of Ijebu land.
“We are here to say that Fusengbuwa ruling house is saying no and reject any plan of imposition for ongoing selection process of Awujale. Awujale stool is sacred. It is not to be filled as a result of one political consideration or the other.
“We don’t want political Awujale. The Ijebu kingdom has its rich cultural heritage that should not be bastardised by anyone. We have Ifa oracle in our family, so, the government should allow the Ifa oracle to pick the right candidate for us and not just impose anyone. They should not impose any foreigner on us.
“The government should desist from any planned imposition. They should allow the kingmakers do their job. We are not fighting with the government but they should not interfere unnecessarily in the ongoing selection process of the new Awujale.”
Also speaking, Olubunmi Adesanya, another member of the ruling house, also called on the government not to impose the next Awujale on the family but rather allow Ifa oracle and the kingmakers do their job.
Adesanya said: “We are here to plead with the government not to impose the next Awujale on us. The government should allow the kingmakers do their job. They should allow the Ifa oracle to pick the next Awujale for us.
“We reject imposition in all ways and we plead with our chairman to help us convey our request to the government.”
Also speaking on behalf of the traditionalists, High Chief Adekunle Talabi, the Obajelu, Olumoko of Imoko, a priest of the Agemo masquerade, also urged the government to distance itself from the alleged imposition plan.
High Chief Talabi said: “I just want to urge our governor to allow the right thing to be done. There should be nothing like imposition. It is not acceptable. The government should allow the ruling house, the Fusengbuwa and the kingmakers to pick the next Awujale.
“The traditionalists are also not happy with the rumoured plan by the government to impose a candidate. We beg the government to shelve this plan and let things be done as it is laid down from time immemorial.”
