Breaking News: Ogun Govt Halts Awujale Succession, Orders Fusengbuwa Ruling House to restart process
The Ogun State Government has halted the ongoing succession process to the Awujale of Ijebuland, directing the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to restart the nomination exercise following the discovery of procedural lapses that could trigger legal disputes.
The decision comes amid moves by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to convene a nomination meeting on Monday, December 15, to select a successor to the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who passed away in July at the age of 91.
In an earlier notice dated December 11 and signed by the family spokesperson, Abiodun Ogidan, the ruling house had announced that the nomination meeting would hold at Bisrod Hall, GRA, Ijebu-Ode, with attendance restricted to accredited family members.
However, days later, the ruling house issued another notice announcing the postponement of the meeting, citing circumstances beyond its control. The statement, as reported by Lagos State Television, apologised to members for any inconvenience caused and promised to announce a new date in due course.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and former National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Abdulateef Owoyemi, disclosed that the postponement was a direct result of the Ogun State Government’s intervention.
According to Owoyemi, the government stepped in to ensure strict compliance with the 2021 Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State as well as the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration guiding the Awujale stool, warning that any deviation from the laid-down procedures could expose the process to prolonged litigation.
Similarly, the Vice Chairman of the ruling house, Fassy Yusuf, revealed that the state government summoned members of the ruling house and kingmakers to a meeting where the steps already taken in the succession process were reviewed.
Yusuf said the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, who presided over the meeting, directed that the entire process be cancelled and restarted after officials identified errors in the earlier procedure.
He added that the government consequently withdrew the letter that had earlier given the ruling house 14 days to submit names of candidates for the vacant stool.
“The meeting with the government was to ensure that everything falls in place. The government wants us to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Obas and Chiefs Law regarding the installation of the Awujale,” Yusuf said.
“So, very soon, we are going to receive another letter from the local government and begin the process afresh. The earlier letter, which gave the ruling house 14 days to submit candidates, has been withdrawn.”
Yusuf further disclosed that about 60 princes are currently vying for the revered Awujale stool, making it imperative for the nomination process to be transparent, orderly and free from legal defects.