Ogun govt defends Awujale succession intervention, cites Fusengbuwa family disputes

The Ogun State Government has defended its intervention in the succession process for the vacant Awujale stool, saying it stepped in after discovering leadership divisions within the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and alleged irregularities in the nomination process.

Its defence comes amid an escalating dispute over the administration of Ijebuland during the interregnum, with traditional chiefs challenging the state government’s authority to constitute an interim administrative council and taking Governor Dapo Abiodun and other officials to court.

In a statement on Wednesday, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, said the government had acted in accordance with the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State, 2021.

Mr Ogungbade said the government had consistently recognised the Fusengbuwa Ruling House’s entitlement to produce the next Awujale following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona in July 2025.

He, however, said the government intervened after discovering that the ruling house was operating under three different family heads, while nomination forms were reportedly being sold for as much as N10 million.

“At a meeting with the family on November 6, 2025, the government advised it to resolve its internal leadership disagreements, operate under one recognised family head and discontinue the collection of nomination fees,” the statement read.

He said the intervention resulted in the family agreeing to operate as one ruling house, abolish the fees, refund payments already made by aspirants and express appreciation to the government.

The attorney general maintained that the intervention was not intended to deprive the ruling house of its traditional entitlement but to ensure that the selection process was orderly, transparent and consistent with the law.

“While the government respected the traditional succession process, it also had statutory responsibilities in the appointment and installation of traditional rulers, including the authority to reject a nominated candidate where the interest of good governance so demands,” the statement added..

The controversy over the N10 million nomination fee had earlier been acknowledged by the ruling house. In January, its royal family chairman, Lateef Owoyemi, said 12 aspirants had paid the amount before the government directed that the fees be refunded and the process opened to all eligible family members without payment.

Mr Owoyemi said the evidence of refunds was sent to relevant government officials. The ruling house had defended the initial charge as a contribution towards administrative and logistical expenses, rather than payment for the throne.

Traditional chiefs take government to court

The government’s defence comes a day after the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council filed a suit against Mr Abiodun and members of the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC), challenging the reconstitution of the government-backed body.

The suit, marked HCJ/201/2026 and dated 5 November was filed at the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu-Ode by the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council, led by Olo’rgun Kuku, who is the regent of Ijebuland.

Other defendants are the Attorney General, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and members of the reconstituted AIAC.

Vanguard reported that the claimants are asking the court to declare that the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council is the legitimate traditional administrative authority entitled to oversee Ijebu-Ode’s affairs during the interregnum.

They also want the court to set aside the reconstitution of the AIAC and restrain its members from holding meetings or exercising traditional, civil and financial administrative powers over Ijebu-Ode.

The council further sought an interlocutory injunction to stop the AIAC members from acting in that capacity and prevent the state government from recognising, dealing with or funding them pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Mr Kuku said the case was not intended to interfere with the selection of the next Awujale but to protect the cultural practices and traditional administrative arrangements of Ijebuland.

He said the succession process had reached the stage of deliberations by the kingmakers on a candidate from the 95 names submitted to them.

Meanwhile, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House had sued the state government and the kingmakers in suit HCJ/149/2026 in August over the suspension of the selection exercise.

The ruling house sought, among other reliefs, a declaration that it had completed its statutory responsibility by nominating candidates in January 2026 and that the kingmakers were required to proceed with the selection process.

Another suit, HCJ/167/2026, concerns a N1 billion defamation claim and a leadership dispute within the ruling house.

Two competing interim councils

The dispute over the administration of Ijebuland has also intensified following disagreements between the state government and traditional chiefs over the body authorised to manage the kingdom while the Awujale stool remains vacant.

The government initially established the AIAC to oversee administrative and traditional affairs during the interregnum. However, early November traditional chiefs subsequently announced the dissolution of the body and established the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council, arguing that the move reflected the customs and longstanding practices of Ijebuland.

The state government rejected the decision and reconstituted the AIAC, insisting that the alternative council had no recognition under the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration or the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law, 2021.

The government also relied on a consent judgment in suit HCJ/180/2025, which it said affirmed the legality and authority of the AIAC as the recognised administrative body during the interregnum.

In its earlier position, the government argued that the 1957 Chiefs Law cited by some traditional chiefs was a pre-independence legislation that no longer applied to Ogun State, which has operated under its own laws since its creation in 1976.

Government warns over media reports

In Wednesday’s statement, Mr Ogungbade also accused some individuals and groups of sponsoring media attacks and spreading disinformation to pressure the government over the succession process.

He said the government recognised the right of individuals to criticise its actions but would not tolerate what he described as media blackmail and deliberate disinformation intended to undermine its statutory responsibilities.

Citing Section 61 of the Criminal Law of Ogun State, the attorney general said unlawful acts calculated to interfere with the free exercise of a governor’s official duties could attract a three-year jail term.

He warned publishers and individuals against disseminating reports allegedly designed to interfere with the succession process, saying the government would pursue legal remedies if such activities continued.