The ruling house backs Abdulateef Owoyemi and two deputies, while a rival faction insists the trio were removed over alleged irregularities in the Awujale selection process
The Grand Council of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, passed a vote of confidence in Chairman Abdulateef Owoyemi, Deputy Chairman Oladokun Ajidagba and Vice Chairman Prof Fassy Yusuf, rejecting their purported removal over allegations linked to the selection of a new Awujale of Ijebuland.
Also read: Ogun govt rejects controversial Awujale nomination letter
The council described the nine-member fact-finding committee that announced the trio’s removal on Sunday as an unauthorised body and dismissed its findings as an attempt to undermine the recognised leadership of the royal family.
The dispute has deepened an already prolonged succession controversy surrounding the vacant Awujale throne, with competing groups within the Fusengbuwa family now presenting sharply different accounts of who has the authority to manage the selection process.
Speaking for the family at a press briefing in Ijebu-Ode, Owoyemi said three factions that previously existed within the ruling house had reconciled following the intervention of the Ogun State Government.
He said the reconciliation led to his election as chairman and Olori-Ebi, with Ajidagba becoming deputy chairman and Igbakeji Olori-Ebi, while Yusuf was chosen as vice chairman and Eta Olori-Ebi.
Owoyemi said Pastor Jeremiah Salami was appointed secretary, Alhaji Adebisi Quadri became treasurer and Abiodun Ogidan was appointed publicity secretary.
He explained that the delegation sent to the Ogun State Government comprised four representatives from each of the three factions, producing 12 delegates who were subsequently constituted into a management committee.
Three additional members were later co-opted, bringing the Grand Council’s membership to 15.
Owoyemi therefore rejected the authority of the group that announced the removal of the leadership, describing its members as “usurpers and impostors”.
“None of the impostors or usurpers is a member. Consequently, they have no authority or power whatsoever to constitute any meeting nor set up any committee in any material particular,” he said.
He accused the group of attempting to destabilise the family and interfere with its role in the selection of the next Awujale.
“We have thoroughly investigated the activities of these charlatans, and we are convinced that they are acting out a script that, if not challenged, would have a devastating effect on the family, disrupt and overturn the family’s entitlement to the Awujale throne,” Owoyemi said.
The recognised leadership also rejected allegations of financial inducement, manipulation of documents and other irregularities, describing the accusations as baseless.
Owoyemi said members of the group would face legal action over what the family considers defamatory statements and other alleged misconduct.
The threat of litigation adds another potentially significant dimension to a succession dispute that has already stretched for months.
The rival faction, however, has rejected the characterisation of its members as impostors and insists that its intervention is intended to restore what it considers proper procedure within the ruling house.
In a statement sent to journalists, Ridwan Oduneye, secretary of the disputed fact-finding committee, said the group was not seeking to destabilise the family.
“We are only working to restore due process, unity and the integrity of the Fusegbuwa/Jadiara Ruling House,” Oduneye said.
He maintained that the group’s actions were based on the findings of the fact-finding committee and a general meeting of the house held on August 9, which he said was attended by 115 members drawn from the various lineages.
Oduneye said the meeting resolved to remove Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf and appointed Prince Adeleke Adeyemi as interim secretary and authorised signatory pending the election of a new Olori-Ebi.
He also welcomed the prospect of a court battle, arguing that the judicial process could provide a neutral forum for resolving the competing claims.
“Litigation is a civil way of seeking redress. The court will be the best place to establish who has betrayed the House and who is pursuing personal interest at the expense of the collective,” he said.
Oduneye denied having a personal agenda, pointing to his family’s historical connection with the ruling house.
He said his grandfather, the late Omooba Adebanjo Oduneye Eruobodo, had previously served as Olori-Ebi of Fusengbuwa, adding that his involvement was motivated by a desire to protect the family’s legacy.
The dispute centres on the process of selecting a successor to Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who died on July 13, 2025, aged 91, after reigning as Awujale of Ijebuland for 65 years.
The succession process has been complicated by disagreements over eligibility, procedure and the role of the state government.
The number of aspirants from the ruling house eventually rose to 95, comprising 94 princes and one princess, after the nomination process was opened more broadly. (Channels Television)
The selection was subsequently halted by the Ogun State Government, which cited petitions and security concerns, leaving the process in suspension while the various interests continued to press their positions.
Owoyemi and other recognised leaders have repeatedly urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to lift the embargo and allow the kingmakers to complete their constitutional role.
In May, the ruling house publicly appealed for the resumption of the process, arguing that the continued delay was causing frustration in Ijebuland.
Owoyemi renewed that appeal on Wednesday, saying the prolonged suspension had created an environment in which competing claims and controversies could flourish.
Prof Yusuf also called on the state government to lift the embargo, arguing that the government had no legal authority to halt the traditional selection process.
“Strictly speaking, the government has no authority whatsoever. Of course! Government is not empowered under any known law to halt any process,” Yusuf said.
He added that the family would continue to press the government to review its position but could consider other options if the suspension remained in place.
The rival group, meanwhile, has cited alleged failures in the handling of the candidate selection process as part of the justification for its intervention.
Oduneye said the fact-finding committee, chaired by Olusegun Olusoga, was constituted in June following petitions alleging financial inducement and other irregularities.
According to the committee’s account, only Owoyemi appeared before it, while Ajidagba and Yusuf declined invitations to respond to the allegations.
The committee subsequently reported what it described as a breakdown in unity and communication among the three leaders, as well as concerns over the compilation and submission of candidates’ names.
The rival group’s position therefore contrasts sharply with that of the recognised council, which maintains that the committee itself lacked legitimacy and had no authority to remove the leadership.
The competing claims have left the Fusengbuwa Ruling House facing a fresh internal dispute at a sensitive point in the Awujale succession.
For now, the traditional selection process remains suspended, while both sides appear prepared to defend their positions through formal and legal channels.
The disagreement also means that the eventual selection of the new Awujale is likely to depend not only on the traditional procedures for choosing the monarch but also on whether the competing claims within the ruling house can first be resolved.
Also read: Five princes nominated for Awujale of Ijebuland throne
Until that happens, the vacant throne remains at the centre of a powerful dispute involving tradition, family authority, government intervention and the future leadership of Ijebuland.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
