Awujale Stool: Royal Family Appeals to Ogun Government to Resume Process

Awujale Stool: Royal Family Appeals to Ogun Government to Resume Process
Owoyemi described the kingmakers as individuals of integrity who would not compromise the sanctity of the throne
Prince Ademorin Aliu Kuye denied allegations that he presented himself as the Awujale-elect

The head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu Ode in Ogun State, Abdulateef Owoyemi, has appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to lift the suspension placed on the process to select a new Awujale of Ijebuland, Eko Hot Blog reports.

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Owoyemi, a former national president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, said members of the royal family and indigenes of Ijebuland, both at home and in the diaspora, are increasingly concerned over the indefinite halt to the selection process.

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Speaking on Sunday, he acknowledged the governor’s support for due process but urged that distractions and disputes surrounding the succession should not delay the emergence of a new monarch.

According to him, the delay is creating uncertainty, especially as key cultural and religious events approach.

“Ramadan has begun, and after that we will observe our annual Ojude Oba festival during Eid-el-Kabir, which is of great cultural and religious significance,” Owoyemi said. “People are asking who will coordinate preparations. The truth is that everyone wants the new Awujale to be installed.”

He described the kingmakers as individuals of integrity who would not compromise the sanctity of the throne, adding that the family’s plea is simply for the process to be concluded without further delay.

The Ogun State Government had, for the second time, suspended the selection process last month. In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, the government said the decision followed numerous petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders.

The government also dismissed claims circulating in some quarters that the Ifa oracle had selected Prince Ademorin Aliu Kuye as the next Awujale and that the state had endorsed the purported choice.

Ogun Suspends Process to Fill Awujale Stool — Ogun state government

Describing the reports as false and misleading, the government maintained that it has not approved any candidate and reiterated that the selection and installation of the Awujale must strictly follow established laws, recognised customs and laid-down procedures.

“The government is not involved in, nor has it endorsed, any such claim,” the statement said, urging the public to disregard rumours suggesting otherwise.

The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for 65 years and was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s longest-serving traditional rulers.

At a recent nomination meeting held at Bisrod Hall in GRA, Ijebu Ode, 95 aspirants comprising 94 princes and one princess from the Fusengbuwa ruling house were presented. The kingmakers, led by the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, Dr Sunny Kuku, were set to commence the selection process before it was halted by the government.

Meanwhile, Prince Ademorin Aliu Kuye, who represents Somolu Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives, has denied allegations that he presented himself as the Awujale-elect.

Kuye, a legal practitioner of 37 years, described the accusations as baseless. He insisted that he would not engage in any action that violates chieftaincy laws or established succession procedures.

The Fusengbuwa royal family had earlier accused him of parading himself as the Awujale-elect and commissioning a song in his praise — actions they described as unlawful and capable of causing unrest in Ijebuland.

In response, Kuye said he neither commissioned nor authorised any such song and suggested that the viral recording may have been orchestrated by detractors seeking to tarnish his image.

“I was never desperate to become the next Awujale,” he said in a telephone interview. “It was my family that purchased the nomination form for me. I did not even fill it out immediately. How then could I be behaving as if I must become Awujale at all costs?”

He emphasised his long public service record, including roles as a former local government chairman, commissioner, presidential adviser and two-term lawmaker, stating that he understands institutional processes and respects the law.

As tensions linger over the stalled process, stakeholders in Ijebuland continue to await the government’s next move on the revered traditional stool.