SUCCESSION OF THE AWUJALE: CHIEFTAINCY FAMILY OF AWUJALE CAUTION POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS' AGAINST RECOGNIZING FAKE FAMILY HEAD

 

The attention of the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family (Four Ruling Houses declared in the Chiefs Law of 1959), has been drawn to a meeting held on Tuesday 16th September, 2025 between the Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Mr. Dare Alebiosu, one Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi and traditional rulers of some Ijebu communities including; Idowa, Irete, Isonyin and Oke Ako. The visitors of the Ijebu Ode Local Government falsely presented themselves as representatives of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House alleging the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family orchestrated a division.

Ordinarily, being a public office holder, the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family is unconcerned about who the Ijebu Ode Local Government Chairman meets. However, his prompt acknowledgment of his visitors' claims and subsequent casting of smear on the integrity of the entire Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family, not only betrayed our trust but of the good people of Ijebu Ode Local Government Area.  

The Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family disapproves of the Chairman's provocative remarks and caution against any further inflammatory statements from his office. The Honorable Chairman’s actions are viewed as meddling in the Awujale's succession, suggesting his involvement in recent attempts by his visitors to infiltrate the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family. As law abiding citizens of Ogun State and traditional owners of the Awujale stool, we are compelled to inform the general public to reject the Chairman's visitors’ false claims and interference in the affairs of the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family. We wish to state as follows; 

The Chiefs Law of 1959 declares that the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family comprises four Ruling Houses; Anikinaiya, Fusengbuwa, Fidipote and Gbelegbuwa. 

The Chiefs Law of 1959 declares the order of rotation in which the four Ruling Houses comprising of direct descendants of the patriarchs of the Ruling House are entitled to provide candidates to fill successive vacancies in the chieftaincy. Specifically; 

Anikinaiya: descendants of Awujale Anikinaiya (1821 - 1854).

Fusengbuwa: descendants of Awujale Fusengbuwa (1790 - 1820)

Gbelegbuwa: descendants of Awujale Gbelegbuwa (1780 - 1790) and,

Fidipote: descendants of Awujale Fidipote (1854 - 1885).

The Chiefs Law of 1959 declares that the Ruling House whose turn is to present candidate(s) to fill a vacancy may only present person(s) who directly descend from the patriarch of the of the Ruling House (i.e., persons who are direct descendants of children birthed on the Awujale stool – Abidaagba). In this case only the direct descendants of Awujale Fusengbuwa. 

While the four Ruling Houses jointly address any deviation from the Royal tradition of Ijebuland, they do not interfere in the internal affairs of a Ruling House whose turn it is to present candidate(s) to fill a vacant Awujale stool.

Contrary to the Chairman's visitor's deceptive victim-blaming, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House is located at Ile Nla Agunsenbi Quarters, Ijebu Ode, within Ijebu Ode LGA, Ogun State, and nowhere in Idowa, Oke Ako, Isonyin, Irete, or Odogbolu LGA.

The general public is hereby informed that Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi and some Ijebu traditional leaders, having visited the Ijebu Ode Local Government Chairman, have no familial ties to the Awujale Fusengbuwa Ruling House. These individuals recently put forth baseless assertions, such as Awujale Jadiara (1680-1695) being a descendant of Awujale Fusengbuwa (1790-1819), which is chronologically impossible.

We respectfully challenge the Honorable Chairman to request his visitors to avail the public of any precedent to their claims in the entire Yorubaland where at the vacancy of a Chieftaincy stool, claimants citing descent from a distant past monarch were allowed to vie for the stool in opposition to a legally recognized Ruling House.

It is a generally acknowledged fact that in Ijebuland, a claim of connection to a distant Awujale is not entertained in the selection of an Awujale. The Chiefs Law of 1959 regulating the selection of the Awujale of Ijebuland chieftaincy codified the native laws and custom of Ijebuland regarding the selection of the Awujale and any deviation therefrom is not only illegal but sacrilegious. 

Furthermore, what the impostors are promoting has never existed in the history of Ijebuland. During the appointment of the late Awujale Sikiru Olukayode Adetona, Indigenes and  traditional rulers from Ibefun, Ikorodu, Okun-Owa, Iperu, Odo Mase, Imodi, Imosan, Ikangba and other places connected to the Awujale Anikinaiya dynasty never claimed to be members of the Anikinaiya Ruling House.

The Ijebu Ode Local Government Chairman's unfortunate endorsement of a visitor's claim—that the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family's recognition of the legitimate Fusengbuwa Ruling House (the Ile Nla Agunsenbi Quarters, led by Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba) is interference—exposes his incomplete knowledge of Ijebu royalty and traditions.

It is our firm view that political office holders' sworn duty is to protect of law and order which includes preservation of the lawful native laws, tradition and custom of their people.

Notwithstanding the Chairman's claim that his guests provided documents for his examination, he is respectfully counseled, for the sake of societal harmony, to uphold the autonomy of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and the collective Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family, which requires ceasing the endorsement of illicit activities and avoiding further strain on the patience of the Ijebu community. The exclusive authority to determine the membership and leadership of any Awujale Ruling House is vested solely in the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family, given that these four Ruling Houses have never existed in isolation; our ancestors held periodic meetings, fostering mutual recognition, and thus, external political office holders will not be permitted to arbitrarily appoint individuals to establish an Awujale Ruling House.  

For the record, Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi Obanlefa, a direct descendant of Awujale Fusegbuwa's 1st Abidagba, headed the Fusengbuwa Ruling House as 'Olori Ebi' for over 25 years, until his 2013 death. His son, Prince Adeleke Adeyemi, serves as General Secretary for the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family. The late Otunba Subomi Balogun's attempt to seize control of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House led to legal action. At the trial, the late Awujale Sikiru Olukayode Adetona testified against Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi, who was chosen as the Fusengbuwa Family head to oppose Otunba Subomi Balogun. The Awujale stated in court that, by tradition, only Ijebu Ode natives, not those from Idowa or elsewhere, may serve as family heads. He further explained Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi, originating from Idowa and Ikoro village in Ekiti State, has no royal family ties in Ijebu, a point Alhaji Owoyemi admitted.

Acting on legal counsel, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, comprising eight units, named Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba as their new Family Head in 2023 after Otunba Subomi Balogun's death. Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi never opposed this until the late Awujale Sikiru Olukayode Adetona GCON died in 2025. 

In the first half of 2025, near the late Awujale's passing, one Dr. Adekunle Hassan began falsely claiming leadership of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. The Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba-led house sued him for his fraudulent claims, and Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi made no claims.

It was after the death of the Awujale that Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi with the support of certain traditional rulers and other persons outside Ijebu Ode began to parade himself as Head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House on the false pretext that a 2024 court of Appeal judgement reinstated him as the Family Head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. In fact, the Court of Appeal judgment of 28th November 2024 had the limited effect of restoring Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi’s status as a member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and noting his 2013 appointment as Olori-Ebi. It does not displace the family’s 2023 appointment of Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba, which remains valid and subsisting until set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction.  

The Honorable Chairman is urged to examine the November 2024 Court Judgment cited by Otunba Lateef Owoyemi. He should confirm and validate Otunba Lateef Owoyemi’s basis for his claims, especially in the face of a March 2018 High Court of Ijebu-Ode ruling that rejected him as Olori Ebi.

We hereby make a general public statement that Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba leads Fusengbuwa Ruling House, located at Ile Nla Agunsenbi Quarters Ijebu Ode, which remains the true house following late Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi Obanlefa's leadership and to disregard any political endorsements favoring people from Idowa, Irete in, Odogbolu Local Government and other places outside Ijebu Ode.

Signed, 

Prince (Alhaji) Toheeb Mabadeje Alaga

Olori Ebi, Anikinaiya Ruling House & Head, Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family.

For and on behalf of the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Family both at home and in the diasporas.