The crisis rocking the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode has deepened, with a rival leadership emerging less than 24 hours after the family’s recognised Olori Ebi accused the Ogun State Government of backing attempts to create a parallel structure within the ruling house.
A new group within the family on Sunday announced Otukayode Hakeem-Otufale as Olori Ebi and called for the cancellation of the previous exercise for selecting the next Awujale of Ijebuland.
The development effectively brings the internal dispute that had been brewing for weeks into the open, with competing claims now emerging over who has legitimate authority to speak for the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
WestNG had reported on Saturday that the existing Olori Ebi, Abdulateef Owoyemi, accused the Ogun State Government of allegedly sponsoring members of the family to frustrate the selection of the next Awujale and establish a parallel leadership structure.
Owoyemi also declared a planned Sunday meeting to announce another Olori Ebi “void”.
That meeting nevertheless went ahead on Sunday at Ule Nla Agunsebi Hall, Ijebu-Ode, where elders, princes and representatives of various family units recognised Otufale as the new Olori Ebi.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Otunba Kehinde Alebiosun said the family had regrouped because of alleged procedural breaches, inadequate consultation and other concerns surrounding the earlier Awujale selection exercise.
He said the decision was aimed at correcting what members considered irregularities and restoring confidence in the process.
Representatives of the various family units subsequently presented a certificate to Otufale, formally recognising him as the new head of the family.
In his acceptance speech, Otufale pledged to unite the ruling house and conduct a fresh selection process based on transparency, fairness and established procedures.
But the emergence of Otufale directly conflicts with the position expressed by Owoyemi a day earlier.
Owoyemi had maintained that he remained the recognised head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and that the family had already completed its statutory responsibility by conducting an internal nomination exercise.
He alleged that members seeking to establish another leadership structure were being encouraged by interested persons within the state government.
According to him, the ruling house completed its nomination process within the period prescribed for it and subsequently forwarded the names of nominated candidates to the Awujale kingmakers.
The new group, however, disputes the validity of that process and wants it restarted.
Otufale alleged that the previous committee failed to adequately consult members of the ruling house and questioned the submission of 86 names to the kingmakers without what he described as proper screening.
He also raised questions about money allegedly collected from aspirants, claiming that no statement of account had been presented to the family and that refunds had not been properly accounted for.
Otufale further questioned reports that two former chairmen associated with the selection exercise had acquired Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles, calling for clarification of the circumstances surrounding the alleged purchases.
Those allegations have not been independently established, and the affected individuals would be entitled to respond.
The new leadership also distanced itself from the legal action previously instituted against the Ogun State Government over the stalled Awujale selection.
Otufale said the new leadership was not interested in taking the government to court and would instead work with the authorities to restart the selection process.
“We are not willing or interested in taking the government to court,” he said, adding that the family would do a better job if the selection process was restarted.
The competing positions are already reflected in separate legal proceedings.
Owoyemi; his deputy, Otunba Dokun Ajidagba; Vice Chairman, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, and Secretary, Pastor Jeremiah Salami, recently approached the Ogun State High Court in Suit HCJ/167/2026 over the alleged attempt to remove them from their positions.
The four leaders are challenging 12 members of the family and disputing claims that they had been validly removed.
The suit also touches on allegations of financial inducement and manipulation in the Awujale selection process.
The earlier suit, HCJ/149/2026, was filed by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House against the Ogun State Government, the Awujale kingmakers and other defendants over the suspension of the selection process.
The case has been adjourned to September 23, 2026, following the reassignment of the case file by a vacation judge.
Sunday’s development therefore introduces a potentially more complicated question into the succession battle: which leadership structure legitimately represents the Fusengbuwa Ruling House?
While the new group insists there are no factions and that the family remains united, the existence of competing leadership claims, opposing accounts of the earlier selection process, and separate court actions point to a serious internal dispute that could further complicate the search for the next Awujale.
The Awujale stool has remained vacant since the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba II, in July 2025 after 65 years on the throne.
Fusengbuwa is next in the traditional rotation among the four recognised ruling houses – Gbelegbuwa, Anikinaiya, Fusengbuwa and Fidipote – making the resolution of the family’s internal dispute central to the succession process.
For now, the emergence of a second Olori Ebi has transformed what was previously presented as a dispute over the handling of the Awujale selection into an increasingly visible contest over the leadership and representation of the ruling house itself.
