Awujale succession process controversy as Fusengbuwa Ruling House explains ₦10m application fee and confirms full refunds
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House has defended its initial decision to fix the application form for the Awujale of Ijebuland stool at ₦10 million, saying the amount was agreed upon through internal consultations and intended to ensure fairness among eligible family members.
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The **Olori Ebi** of the ruling house, Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, gave the explanation on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, amid ongoing controversy surrounding the stalled Awujale succession process.
Owoyemi said the decision followed a general meeting of the family, where members agreed that aspirants should contribute towards the logistics of the nomination exercise, describing the practice as common within Yoruba traditional institutions.
According to him, various figures were initially proposed before the family eventually settled on ₦10 million after extensive deliberations.
“In the first place, we started with 12 candidates after the family unanimously resolved that a price tag should be placed on anyone who wants to contest for the position of Awujale, as it is common in Yorubaland,” Owoyemi said.
“At the members’ general meeting, various suggestions were made. The amount was reduced from ₦100 million to ₦10 million, and it was unanimously approved. Twelve members applied and paid ₦10 million each,” he added.
Owoyemi said the ruling house later refunded all monies collected after the Ogun State Government intervened and directed that the process be opened to all eligible family members without any financial requirement.
He disclosed that the refunds were completed within three days and formally communicated to relevant government officials, including the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, the Secretary to the State Government, and the governor.
“We were advised that what we had charged was not fair to everybody, and we should return all the ₦10 million each of the 12 candidates had paid,” Owoyemi said, noting that the family complied fully with the directive.
Responding to allegations that the Awujale stool was being commercialised, Owoyemi dismissed the claims, insisting that the funds were meant solely to cover administrative and logistical expenses related to the nomination process.
“No king-making process is ever done on empty hands,” he said, stressing that the money was not for personal gain and was never intended to amount to selling the throne.
He further explained that changes in the selection process had reduced the role of inducements, with all eligible family members now participating rather than leaving the decision solely to elders.
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The Awujale succession process has remained suspended since the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona on July 13, 2025, with disputes over eligibility and procedure prompting petitions, protests, and the eventual intervention of the Ogun State Government in January 2026.
