The Ogun State Government has again suspended the selection process for a new Awujale of Ijebuland following a surge of petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat.
Sources also confirmed the deployment of heavy security operatives, including personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to the Awujale Palace in Ijebu Ode.
The revered Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of 91 year old Oba Sikiru Adetona who reigned for 65 years.
The statement partly reads “I write in respect of the ongoing process for the selection of a new Awujale of .
“As you are aware, the Awujale stool is a foremost stool in Yoruba land generally and in Ogun State particularly, where it is one of the paramount stools.
“Further, the stature of the immediate past Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for sixty-five (65) years, significantly enhanced the modern esteem and prestige of the stool.
“These realities place a lot of focus, attention and scrutiny on the next Awujale and the process by which he emerges.
“In this regard, the State Government has received several petitions, reports from security agencies and other key stakeholders in relation to the ongoing selection process.
“In order to maintain public order, protect the integrity of the process, and maintain the veneration of the stool, it has become imperative to halt the selection process for the stool at this time.
“In taking this decision, the government has had due regard to the provisions of the Obas and Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State, 2021, which empower it to ‘set aside an appointment if the Executive Council is satisfied that it is in the interest of peace, order and good government to do so.
“Thus, given the reports at its disposal, the Government has elected to act proactively without further delay in the interest of peace, order and good government by halting the process in its entirety.
“Therefore, the State Government hereby directs that you convey this decision to the Awujale Kingmakers Council and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House immediately.
“The latter, particularly, should be advised to await further directives regarding the selection process.”
This is the second time the process has been suspended. Around December 18, 2025, the state government halted the exercise over alleged procedural errors.
The Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, had confirmed the earlier suspension, explaining that the process was cancelled to prevent potential litigation arising from identified irregularities.
The controversy followed the emergence of 95 contestants, 94 princes and one princess from the Fusengbuwa ruling house on Monday as the contestants to the vacant stool of Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebu land.
The meeting held at Bisrod Hall, GRA, Ijebu Ode was presided over by the Chairman of the ruling house, Otunba Owoyemi, his deputy and Vice, Adedokun Ajidagba and Prof Fassy Yusuf.
The Secretary to the Ijebu Ode Local Government, Abiodun Oke and some other officials of the local government were also around to serve as observers
Speaking with journalists at the end of the nomination meeting, the head of the Fusengbuwa family, Otunba Owoyemi, lauded family members for conducting themselves peacefully.
Owoyemi said that, just as the Ifa oracle had foretold, the family is working across the board to ensure that the person who will assume the vacant stool of Awujale will further take Ijebu land to greater heights.
The selection of the new Awujale, has been generating quite a lot of interest for some time, with Ayinde, popularly called KWAM1, also declaring his interest in the throne.
The Fusengbuwa family, which is the ruling house that produces the next Awujale, however, declared that the legendary Fuji musician was not a member of their family and therefore could not be included in the selection process.
Ayinde had approached the state high court sitting at Ijebu Ode seeking an interim injunction stopping Governor Dapo Abiodun and six others from going ahead with the selection process of the new Awujale.
The court refused to grant the injunction, saying that the application brought by the Fuji musician lacked merit.
Ayinde, through his lawyer, however, withdrew the suit, though no tangible reason was offered.
However, in the recent letter dated January 8 and written to Abiodun by Dr Whab Shittu, SAN, lawyer to the musician, faulted the family decision to use a delegate system to select the candidates for the vacant stool of Awujale.
Ayinde stated further that the directive fixed the nomination exercise for Monday, January 12 2026, but also directed that the nomination exercise will be done by delegates to be selected at a meeting scheduled for 10th January, 2026
Ayinde said that the use of the delegate system was clear that there are plans by the leadership of the ruling house to disenfranchise members of the ruling house desirous of participating in the nomination exercise of candidates to fill the vacant Awujale’s stool.
He said that this was inconsistent with the spirit and letter of the chieftaincy declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021, and therefore called on Gov Abiodun to halt this move in the spirit of justice and fairness.
Ayinde, in another letter dated January 14, 2026, KWAM1, through his lawyer, Dr Shittu, also urged Gov Abiodun to declare the Monday, January 12, 2026, Fusengbuwa ruling house nomination meeting for the new Awujale as null and void because it failed to abide by the state Obas and Chiefs Law 2021.
Ayinde particularly faulted what he called “imposition of a ‘delegate’ system and the physical exclusion of some members by a faction within the ruling house from being part of this nomination meeting.
He also threatened that these identified procedural errors might lead to protracted litigation if the government did not heed his concerns.
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