The Ogun State Government has once again suspended the selection process for a new Awujale of Ijebuland, citing mounting petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders, as well as concerns over public order and procedural integrity.
The latest directive was issued on Wednesday in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat.
The decision comes amid a heightened security presence at the Awujale Palace in Ijebu Ode, where police officers and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were visibly deployed.
According to the government, the suspension followed “a flood of petitions” and reports from security agencies regarding the ongoing selection process. The state said it acted to safeguard peace, public order, and the revered status of the Awujale stool.
“The Awujale stool is one of the foremost paramount stools in Yoruba land and Ogun State,” the statement read, noting that the legacy of the late monarch, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for 65 years until his death in July 2025 at the age of 91, has further heightened scrutiny over the emergence of his successor.
Invoking provisions of the Obas and Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State, 2021, the government said it is empowered to set aside any appointment where such action is deemed necessary in the interest of peace, order, and good governance.
It consequently directed that the decision be communicated immediately to the Awujale Kingmakers Council and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, which has been advised to await further instructions.
This is the second time the process has been halted. Around December 18, 2025, the state government suspended the exercise after identifying procedural flaws that, according to officials, could trigger prolonged legal battles.
The Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, confirmed that the earlier process was cancelled following a meeting between the ruling house and the Awujale Interregnum Administration Committee.
The renewed controversy follows the emergence on Monday of 95 contestants – 94 princes and one princess – from the Fusengbuwa Ruling House during a nomination meeting held at Bisrod Hall, GRA, Ijebu Ode. The meeting was chaired by Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, with representatives of the local government present as observers.
However, the selection process has been dogged by legal and procedural disputes, particularly involving Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Anifowose, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate. The Fusengbuwa family had earlier declared that the musician was not a member of the ruling house and was therefore ineligible to participate.
Ayinde had approached a state High Court in Ijebu Ode seeking to stop the process, but the court declined to grant an injunction, describing the application as lacking merit.
Although the suit was later withdrawn, his lawyer, Dr Wahab Shittu, SAN, subsequently wrote fresh petitions to the government, faulting the adoption of a delegate system for the nomination exercise.
In letters dated January 8 and January 14, 2026, Ayinde argued that the delegate system disenfranchised eligible members of the ruling house and violated both the chieftaincy declaration and the Obas and Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State, 2021. He warned that failure to address these concerns could plunge the Awujale succession into protracted litigation.
The renewed suspension underscores the sensitivity surrounding the selection of a new Awujale and signals the state government’s cautiousness to avoid a disputed enthronement that could destabilise Ijebu land.