- Safiu Kehinde
The Ogun State Government has suspended the nomination exercise for the Awujale of Ijebuland succession process,
The meeting which was earlier scheduled to hold on Monday by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was reportedly suspended to avert procedural lapses that could result in legal disputes.
According to reports, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House deemed next in line to produce the Awujale following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona in July 2025, had, in a letter dated December 11 and signed by the family spokesperson, Abiodun Ogidan, announced the date for the meeting.
It would however be postponed following the Ogun state government’s intervention amid divide within the house which surfaced during their rejection of Nigerian Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, populary known as KWAM.
NPO Reported that KWAM had submitted a letter of intent to the ruling house.
The letter purportedly signed by one of the chieftains of the house, Omoba Adetayo Oduneye, would however be rejected as the house declared that Oduneye is not a registered member of the house, rendering his signature unauthorised.
Meanwhile, in a subsequent statement issued on Sunday, the ruling house announced the postponement of the exercise.
They apologised for any inconvenience the development must have caused while assuring that a new date will be announced soon.
The statement read in part: “Due to circumstances beyond the family’s control, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House Awujale nomination meeting scheduled for Monday, December 15, 2025, has been postponed.
“The new date will be announced shortly. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
The Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and former National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Abdulateef Owoyemi, would later confirm that the postponement followed an intervention by the state government.
According to him, the government stepped in to ensure that all procedures align with existing laws, in order to avoid actions that could trigger litigation.
He added that the ruling house was summoned to a meeting by the state government on Tuesday to review steps taken so far and ensure full compliance with extant chieftaincy laws.
While also confirming the development, Vice Chairman of the ruling house, Fassy Yusuf, revealed that no fewer than 60 princes are aspiring to succeed the late Awujale, underscoring the need for a transparent and legally sound selection process.