Awujale: Ruling house sues Ogun, kingmakers

The Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu-Ode has initiated legal action against the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, the Awujale kingmakers, and five other officials, including the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government. The lawsuit, filed at the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu-Ode, seeks court orders to finalize the selection process for the next Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.

The claimants, led by the Chairman of the ruling house, Abdulateef Owoyemi, are questioning the government's authority to prevent the kingmakers from convening and concluding the statutory selection process. They specifically challenge the legality of actions taken on January 20, 2026, which allegedly involved locking the Awujale Palace to halt the process.

The suit, dated August 21, 2026, also seeks to determine whether the state government has the legal right to halt the nomination or selection process for the Awujale "under any guise." The ruling house asserts that it completed its internal nomination process within the legally prescribed timeframe, fulfilling its statutory responsibility under Section 16 of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021.

Furthermore, the claimants want the court to clarify whether the kingmakers are obligated to select a candidate from the nomination list provided by the ruling house and forward the name to the Ogun State Executive Council. The legal challenge arises after the Awujale stool became vacant with the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona on July 13, 2025, after a 65-year reign. The plaintiffs claim the Ijebu-Ode Local Government notified the ruling house on December 2, 2025, that it was its turn to nominate a candidate under the rotational arrangement stipulated by law.