Ruling House Explains ‘Critical Reasons’ for Halting Awujale Nomination

Fresh details have emerged on why the Fusengbuwa ruling house postponed its nomination meeting for candidates seeking the vacant stool of the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland.

Sources familiar with the process disclosed on Sunday that no fewer than 60 princes are currently in the race to succeed the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

The Fusengbuwa ruling house, which is next in line to produce the Awujale following Oba Adetona’s death at the age of 91 in July 2025, had earlier announced that the nomination meeting would take place on Monday. The announcement came through a letter dated December 11, 2025, signed by the family’s spokesman, Abiodun Ogidan.

The meeting was scheduled to hold at Bisrod Hall in the Government Reserved Area of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. In the notice, the ruling house laid out strict guidelines for the exercise, stressing that only accredited family members would be admitted. Each aspirant was to be represented by two family members—one to nominate and another to second the nomination—while the candidates themselves were barred from attending.

The family also urged all participants to conduct themselves peacefully and with the decorum expected of a sacred traditional process.

However, the Nomination Committee of the ruling house later announced that the exercise had been postponed. In a statement issued on Friday and addressed to members of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, the committee said the decision was due to circumstances beyond the family’s control, adding that a new date would be communicated in due course.

Speaking on Sunday, the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, explained that the postponement followed an intervention by the Ogun State Government aimed at preventing procedural lapses that could lead to legal disputes.

Owoyemi said the ruling house received an invitation from the state government to attend a meeting on Tuesday to review the steps taken so far and ensure full compliance with relevant laws and guidelines governing the selection of a traditional ruler.

He dismissed claims that the delay was linked to any individual aspirant, including popular Fuji musician Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde, known as KWAM1, whose eligibility had generated public speculation.

“The postponement has absolutely nothing to do with any individual,” Owoyemi said. “The state government invited us for a meeting to ensure that the process is carried out properly and does not become vulnerable to litigation. It is about doing things right, comparing notes, and ensuring the process is flawless.”

The Vice Chairman of the ruling house, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, also confirmed that both the ruling house and the kingmakers had been summoned to meet with the government, making it necessary to suspend the nomination exercise.

Yusuf disclosed that at least 60 princes have indicated interest in contesting for the revered throne. He explained that the outcome of the meeting with the government, which will also involve the Awujale Interregnum Committee, will determine when the nomination meeting will be rescheduled.

He described reports linking the postponement to specific aspirants as misleading and unfounded, stressing that the process remains open and orderly.

The race to select a successor to Oba Adetona, who ruled Ijebuland for 65 years before his death, gained momentum after the local government reportedly directed the ruling house to present eligible candidates within 14 days.