The succession crisis surrounding the vacant Awujale of Ijebuland stool has taken a fresh turn, with the Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, removing three of its senior leaders over allegations of financial inducement, document manipulation and breaches of due process.
Those removed are the Chairman and Olori-Ebi, Abdulateef Owoyemi, Vice-Chairman, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, and Deputy Chairman, Adeodokun Ajidagba.
The decision was reportedly taken on Sunday at a meeting held at the Agunsebi Family House, Ijebu Ode, and presided over by the ruling house Secretary, Adeleke Adeyemi.
It followed the presentation of a 25-page report by a nine-member Fact-Finding Committee chaired by Olusegun Olusoga, with Adeyemo Oduneye as secretary.
According to the report presented to the family, the committee was constituted in June following petitions alleging irregularities in the process of selecting the next Awujale.
Oduneye said only Owoyemi appeared before the committee, while Yusuf and Ajidagba declined its invitation.
The committee alleged that the compilation and submission of candidates’ names lacked transparency, proper screening and adherence to the statutory classification contained in the Awujale Declaration.
It also accused the three leaders of allegedly usurping powers belonging to the wider ruling house.
The family subsequently adopted the committee’s report and voted for the immediate removal of the three officials.
Speaking after the meeting, Adeyemi said the decision was based on the committee’s findings and that the ruling house would communicate its position to the Ogun State Government before commencing the search for new leadership.
Oduneye alleged that the committee found administrative irregularities involving financial inducement, support for particular candidates and manipulation of documents.
He said the process could be restarted if necessary, arguing that integrity should take precedence over speed.
“It’s better we do it well than to rush at it and present wrong results,” Oduneye said.
But the affected leaders rejected the allegations.
Yusuf described those behind the removal as “rabble-rousers and confusionists” and threatened legal action over alleged defamation.
He also questioned Adeyemi’s authority to preside over the meeting, alleging that the secretary was himself an aspirant to the Awujale throne.
Owoyemi also dismissed the allegations as baseless and described the decision as lacking substance. He questioned how someone he alleged was a candidate could preside over a process concerning the leadership of the ruling house.
Efforts to obtain Ajidagba’s reaction were reportedly unsuccessful as his phone was switched off.
The latest dispute adds another layer to an already troubled succession process.
The Awujale stool became vacant on July 13, 2025, following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona at 91 after more than 65 years on the throne.
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House subsequently began the process of producing his successor. By January 2026, 95 aspirants—94 princes and one princess—had emerged. The nomination process was led by Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf.
The Ogun State Government later halted the process after receiving petitions and reports from security agencies and stakeholders.
Police also confirmed that investigations into allegations of bribery and financial inducement connected to the succession process were ongoing.
The Fusengbuwa leadership had in May denied wrongdoing and appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to lift the suspension, insisting that the allegations against members of the ruling house were unfounded.
With the latest internal removal, the focus will now shift to whether the ruling house can establish a new leadership structure capable of resolving the dispute and restarting a succession process that has already faced repeated suspensions, allegations and counter-allegations.
