The Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode has instituted legal proceedings against the Ogun State Government and members of the Awujale kingmakers’ council, seeking an order compelling them to resume and conclude the process for selecting the next Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.
The suit, filed at the Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode and dated 21 August 2026, names Governor Dapo Abiodun and eight other government officials and bodies, alongside members of the Awujale Afobaje/Kingmakers Council, as defendants.
The case was instituted by the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Abdulateef Owoyemi; Deputy Chairman, Adedokun Ajidagba; and Vice Chairman, Prof Fassy Yusuf.
Other government defendants include the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN); the Ogun State Executive Council; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat; and the Secretary of Ijebu-Ode Local Government.
The plaintiffs also listed the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, and members of the Awujale Afobaje/Kingmakers Council, including Sonny Kuku, Chief Rasheed Adesanya, Chief Oluwaranti Osifeso, Chief Jimi Lawal, Chief Abimbola Okenla, Chief Kunle Ogunade, Chief Agboola Alausa, Chief Adebisi Adaran and Chief Ayotunde Odulaja.
The ruling house is asking the court to determine whether the state government had the legal authority to direct or facilitate the entry of security personnel into the Awujale Palace and its subsequent locking on 20 January 2026, which the plaintiffs said prevented the kingmakers from meeting and completing the statutory selection process.
It also wants the court to determine whether the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021 gives the government the power to suspend or halt the nomination and selection process for the Awujale “under any guise”.
Dispute Over Nomination Process
The Awujale stool became vacant following the death of the late Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona on 13 July 2025 at the age of 91, after a reign spanning about 65 years.
According to the plaintiffs, Ijebu-Ode Local Government notified the Fusengbuwa Ruling House on 2 December 2025 that it was its turn to produce a candidate under the rotational arrangement provided by the state chieftaincy law.
The ruling house subsequently began its internal nomination process and held a meeting on 12 January 2026, which it said was within the 14-day period prescribed by Section 16(1)(b) of the law.
The plaintiffs said 95 princes and princesses were nominated, with the complete list forwarded to the nine-member Awujale Afobaje/Kingmakers Council on 19 January for the next stage of the selection process.
They alleged that less than 24 hours later, police officers entered the Awujale Palace after midnight on 20 January and prevented the kingmakers from convening to select a candidate from the nominees.
The local government subsequently cited security concerns and allegations of bribery and financial inducement as reasons for the suspension of the process by the state government.
The ruling house, however, disputed the allegations, claiming that no evidence or formal petition substantiating them had been presented. It further maintained that investigations by the police and the Department of State Services did not establish any wrongdoing.
Ruling House Seeks Court Declarations
The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that their nomination process was lawfully completed and that the kingmakers are bound by Sections 16(1)(e) and (f) of the Obas and Chiefs Law to select a candidate from the submitted list and forward the name to the Ogun State Executive Council.
They also contend that the Executive Council is required under Section 22 of the law to act on the kingmakers’ selection once it is presented.
Among the reliefs sought, the ruling house wants the court to order the kingmakers to reconvene within seven days of judgment and complete the selection process.
It is also seeking an injunction restraining the state government and security agencies from further interfering with the statutory process.
The plaintiffs have further asked the court to determine whether, having completed their internal nomination within the period prescribed by law, they had fully discharged their statutory responsibility and could therefore not be compelled to reopen or repeat the process.
They also want a declaration that the kingmakers became obligated to select a candidate after receiving the ruling house’s nomination list and forward the selected name to the appropriate government authority.
Another issue before the court is whether the state government had any legal authority to order or facilitate the forcible entry into and locking of the Awujale Palace by police officers on 20 January 2026.
The plaintiffs are consequently seeking a declaration that the locking of the palace, which they said was intended to halt the selection process, was unlawful, ultra vires the Obas and Chiefs Law and a breach of their right to fair hearing.
Counsel to the claimants, led by Olusegun Otayemi, argued in the originating summons that Ogun State’s chieftaincy legislation establishes a sequential process of nomination, selection and approval, which must be followed once the statutory process has commenced.
The court’s determination will therefore have implications for the next stage of the process to fill the vacant Awujale stool and Paramount Rulership of Ijebuland.
