The battle over the vacant Awujale stool of Ijebuland has taken a fresh turn, with the Fusengbuwa Ruling House removing three of its principal leaders over allegations of misconduct in the selection process for the next monarch.
The affected officials are the Chairman of the ruling house, Abdulateef Owoyemi; his deputy, Adeodokun Ajidagba; and Vice-Chairman, Prof Fassy Yusuf.
Their removal followed the adoption of a report submitted by a nine-member fact-finding committee constituted by the ruling house to investigate allegations of financial inducement, document manipulation and breaches of procedure in the process of selecting candidates for the vacant throne.
The decision was reached on Sunday at the Agunsebi Family House in Ijebu-Ode during a meeting presided over by the ruling house secretary, Adeleke Adeyemi.
The committee, chaired by Olusegun Olusoga with Adeyemo Oduneye as secretary, reportedly investigated petitions submitted against the three leaders and presented a 25-page report to the family.
While presenting the findings, Oduneye said only Owoyemi appeared before the panel, while Yusuf and Ajidagba did not honour its invitation.
The committee alleged that there had been serious disagreements among the three leaders and faulted the manner in which candidates for the monarch’s throne were compiled and forwarded.
It also accused the officials of failing to properly classify the aspirants in accordance with the Awujale Declaration, describing the alleged lapses as a breach of the responsibilities entrusted to the ruling house.
The panel recommended that the three leaders relinquish their positions to pave the way for a fresh leadership arrangement capable of restoring confidence in the selection process.
The ruling house subsequently accepted the recommendations and endorsed their immediate removal.
Speaking after the meeting, Adeyemi said the action was taken after the committee examined allegations of inducement and other irregularities surrounding the exercise.
He said the family would formally notify the Ogun State Government of its decision and begin arrangements to appoint new leadership for the ruling house.
Oduneye maintained that the integrity of the process should take precedence over the need to meet any timeline, saying the exercise could be restarted if necessary to ensure that the right person emerged as the next Awujale.
However, Yusuf rejected the allegations and dismissed the committee’s findings, describing those behind the decision as troublemakers.
He questioned the propriety of the process, particularly Adeyemi’s involvement, alleging that the ruling house secretary was himself interested in the vacant throne.
Yusuf threatened legal action over what he described as defamatory allegations, insisting that he was not involved in the compilation of the list of aspirants.
Owoyemi also rejected the report, describing the allegations against him as baseless and accusing those behind the decision of attempting to create division within the ruling house.
He similarly questioned the authority of Adeyemi to preside over the meeting, alleging that the secretary had an interest in the succession process.
Attempts to obtain Ajidagba’s reaction were unsuccessful as his telephone was reportedly switched off.
The Awujale stool has remained vacant since July 2025, following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona at the age of 91 after more than six decades on the throne.
The Ogun State Government had suspended the selection exercise in January 2026 following petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders, after an earlier suspension in December 2025 over concerns about the process.
A total of 95 aspirants, comprising 94 princes and one princess, had reportedly emerged from the Fusengbuwa Ruling House’s nomination exercise in Ijebu-Ode.
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