Awujale: Fusengbuwa Ruling House protests alleged plot to impose candidate 

From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

Members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu Ode, on Friday, staged a peaceful protest across parts of the ancient town to oppose an alleged plan to impose a candidate in the ongoing process to select the next Awujale of Ijebuland.

The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who passed on at the age of 91 after reigning for 65-years.

The protesters, who carried placards with inscriptions such as “Fusengbuwa says no to imposition,” “Let Ifa oracle determine the next Awujale, “Allow the kingmakers to do their job among others, marched peacefully from Odo Egbo Roundabout through the Awujale Palace/Itale Road to the Ijebu Ode Local Government Secretariat, Itooro.

They were received by the Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Mr Dare Alebiosu.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mrs Adejugba Obileye said the demonstration was to warn against any form of imposition and to demand the reopening of the Awujale Palace.

According to her, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and the kingmakers are already carrying out their traditional and legal responsibilities in line with extant laws to select a worthy successor.

“The Awujale stool is sacred and must not be sacrificed on the altar of politics or pecuniary interests,” Obileye said.

Obileye, who is also the Aremobinrin Jadiara, stated further: “We are here to register our displeasure over the closure of the palace and the alleged plan to impose a candidate on Fusengbuwa ruling house. We reject any form of imposition in the selection of the next Awujale.

“We do not want a political Awujale. Our kingdom has a rich cultural heritage that must not be bastardised. We have Ifa oracle in our family, and that is the traditional means of determining the right candidate. No foreigner should be imposed on us.”

Also speaking, Mr Olubunmi Adesanya, appealed to the state government to allow the kingmakers and the Ifa oracle to perform their traditional roles without interference.

“We are pleading with the government not to impose the next Awujale on us. We reject imposition in all forms,” he said.

The Olumoko of Imoko and a priest of Agemo Masquerade, High Chief Adekunle Talabi, urged the state government to distance itself from any alleged imposition plan.

“The traditionalists are not happy with the rumoured plan to impose a candidate. The government should allow the ruling house and the kingmakers to choose the next Awujale as laid down by tradition,” he said.

Addressing the protesters, the Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, dismissed the allegation of a government-backed imposition, assuring the protesters that there was no such plan.

He disclosed that the Awujale Palace had been reopened since Thursday and promised to convey their concerns to the state government.

“There is nothing like imposition by the government. The selection of the Awujale is the responsibility of the kingmakers, and the government will not interfere. I urge you to remain peaceful and not allow hoodlums hijack this protest,” Alebiosu said.

Recalls that the Ogun State Government on Wednesday announced the suspension of the Awujale selection process following petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders. The statement was signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Ganiyu Hamzat.

The decision sparked tension in some quarters, with allegations that the halt was to pave the way for imposition.

However, the state government, through the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Mr Kayode Akinmade, dismissed the allegations as baseless and false.

Akinmade said the governor remained committed to due process, respect for traditional institutions and a fair selection process, urging the public and the media to rely only on verified official information.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Awujale Interregnum Administration Committee, Dr. Sonny Kuku, had earlier assured that the kingmakers would not tolerate imposition from any quarter.

Dr Kuku disclosed that the kingmakers have been working tirelessly, scrutinising over 1,200 documents submitted by no fewer than 95 aspirants, stressing that the exercise was aimed at ensuring that the best candidate emerges.

He described reports of government interference as speculative, adding that the kingmakers are in constant touch with the government and would soon meet to resolve any outstanding issues.

“There is no cause for alarm. The kingmakers understand the weight of their responsibility and will not betray the confidence reposed in them,” Kuku said.