Security was heightened on Monday at Bisirodipe Hall in the GRA area of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, as the Fusengbuwa Ruling House began the long-awaited process of nominating a new Awujale of Ijebuland.
Armed personnel from the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were deployed across the venue and its surroundings ahead of the exercise, which was scheduled to start at noon.
The large turnout of people forced security operatives to strictly control access, turning away anyone who could not show a valid pass or explain their presence.
The hall was filled with members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, led by its head, Otunba Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi, alongside delegates, observers and residents eager to witness the proceedings.
A group believed to be supporters of Fuji musician and Olori Omooba of Ijebuland, Wasiu Ayinde, also gathered at the gate but were refused entry for lacking accreditation.
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Ayinde has in recent weeks accused the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of trying to edge him out of the selection process. In a petition sent to Governor Dapo Abiodun, he alleged that the family’s actions violated the Ogun State Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law. The complaint was contained in a January 8, 2026 letter written by his lawyer, Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN.
Before writing the petition, Ayinde had gone to the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu Ode seeking an order to stop the nomination exercise. The court declined to grant an interim injunction, and he later withdrew the suit without giving reasons.
The resumption of the nomination exercise followed an earlier suspension, after the Ijebu Ode Local Government, in a letter dated January 6, 2026, directed the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to complete the process within 14 days.
Ayinde said he was surprised when the family’s Public Relations Officer, Prince Adeleye Lateef Ademuyiwa, issued a notice inviting aspirants to obtain nomination forms and appear before a screening committee, fixing the exercise for Monday, January 12, 2026.
The race to fill the throne has drawn interest from dozens of princes following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who ruled Ijebuland for 65 years before passing away at the age of 91 on July 13, 2025.
The letter read, “It is a matter of deep concern to our client that all these directives, which contravene the Chieftaincy Declaration, Obas and Chiefs Law, and the letter from the Secretary of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, were included in the family’s letter dated January 6, 2026.
“It is clear that there are plans by the leadership of the ruling house to disenfranchise members desirous of participating in the nomination of candidates for the Awujale stool.
“We wish to emphasize that all members of the ruling house are entitled to attend the meeting to nominate candidates of their choice.
“A group of people in the ruling house cannot usurp these rights. The directive providing for screening and nomination by delegates is inconsistent with both the spirit and letter of the Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021.
“In the interest of justice and compliance with due process, we urge timely intervention to address these concerns, ensuring the integrity of the process and protecting our client’s rights.”
