At least 95 people, comprising 94 princes and a princess from the Fusengbuwa ruling house of Ijebu Ode, have indicated their interest as contestants for the vacant stool of the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebu land.
The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025, after the demise of the 91-year old Oba Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for 65 years.
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The contestants emerged at the nomination meeting held by the ruling house at Bisrod Hall, GRA, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
In attendance at the meeting, which was presided over by the Chairman of the ruling house, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, his deputy and vice, Prince Adedokun Ajidagba, and Prof Fassy Yusuf, respectively.
The Secretary to the Ijebu Ode Local Government, Abiodun Oke, and some other officials of the local government were around to serve as observers.
Nomination Process
Some of the contestants to the throne include Giwa Abiodun Onanuga, the husband of a former deputy governor of the state, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga; a renowned Ophthalmologist and founder of Eyes Foundation Hospital, Dr Kunle Hassan; Otunba Fatai Arowolo of Aron Construction, among others, while the only female contestant is Oluwakemi Onanuga, a lawyer.
The process of nomination of contestants at the meeting was through the representation of contestants by two of their relatives.
One of the relatives moved the motion for their nomination, while the other member seconded the motion, after which the family will register the nomination as being accepted.
Speaking with journalists at the end of the nomination meeting, the family head of Fusengbuwa, Otunba Owoyemi, lauded the members for conducting themselves peacefully and for ensuring that nothing untoward happened that could jeopardise the nomination process happened.
Owoyemi said that just as the Ifa oracle had foretold, the family was working across board to ensure that the person who would assume the vacant stool of Awujale would be someone who would further take Ijebu land to greater height.
“We thank God that what we have feared so much has finally come and gone peacefully.
“We have successfully, peacefully, and harmoniously nominated our candidates, 95 of them. It is now left in the hands of the kingmakers to do a very good job conscientiously and pick one of them as the next Awujale.
“The Fusengbuwa family has done a lot of traditional research through the Ifa oracle to guide us on what should be done and we have no doubt that the kingmakers are going to select the person that the Almighty God himself has appointed. We believe God in the next month, we should have the next Awujale,” the family head and former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria said.
Owoyemi also said that the contestants had earlier signed an agreement to accept the outcome of the selection process and not pursue any litigation, and that the family expected that each of the contestants would abide by this agreement.
The family head also said that the ruling house believed that the government would do the right thing and “pick for the family the Awujale that had been foretold would make Ijebu land the biggest and greatest”.
KWAM 1’s Claim
Recall that the selection of the new Awujale, which has been generated concerns, with Wasiu Ayinde, popularly called KWAM1, declaring his interest in the throne.
The Fusengbuwa family, which is the ruling house to produce the next Awujale, however, declared that the legendary Fuji musician was not a member of their family and therefore could not be allowed to be part of the selection process.
The Fuji maestro had approached the state high court sitting in Ijebu Ode seeking an interim injunction stopping Governor Dapo Abiodun and six others from going ahead with the selection process of the new Awujale.
The court refused to grant the injunction, saying that the application brought by the Fuji musician lacked merit.
Ayinde, through his lawyer, however, withdrew the suit, though no tangible reason was offered.
However, in the recent letter dated January 8 and written to Abiodun by counsel for the musician, Whab Shittu, SAN, the entertainer said that the Ijebu Ode Local Government council through a letter written by its Secretary, Abiodun Oke dated January 6, 2026 gave the government’s nod for the ruling house to kick off the selection process of the new paramount ruler of Ijebu land.
He stated that it was, however, surprising that whilst members of the family were preparing for the meeting, a notice was issued directing candidates to pick up nomination cards and appear before a screening committee under the chairmanship of Prince Alhaji Mitiu Adenuga.
Ayinde stated further that the directive fixed the nomination exercise for Monday, January 12, 2026, but also directed that the nomination exercise would be done by delegates to be selected at a meeting scheduled for January 10, 2026
“It is clear that there are plans by the leadership of the ruling house to disenfranchise members of the ruling house desirous of participating in the exercise of nomination of candidates to fill the vacancy occurring in the stool of Awujale of Ijebu-Land,” Ayinde said through his lawyer.
“We wish to emphasize that all members of the ruling house are entitled to attend this important meeting to nominate candidates of their choice.
“A group of people in the ruling house cannot usurp the rights of members of the ruling house to freely nominate candidates of their choice.
“It is needless to state that the attempt by certain individuals in the ruling house to hijack the process of nomination of candidates will certainly create a crisis in a process that should be seamless,” he further stated.
“We state in specific terms that the directive providing for screening of candidates and nomination by delegates is not only inconsistent with the spirit and letter of the chieftaincy declaration but also the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021.
“We counsel that in the larger interest of justice and compliance with due process, you will take timeous steps to address these fundamental concerns capable of affecting the integrity of the entire process.
“In particular, our client’s concern of attempts by certain elements to preclude him from the process in flagrant violation of the letters of the law will be resisted, and we hope that your intervention will ensure that justice is done to all parties involved in the process, including our client,” he added.
The Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, Prof Fassy Yusuf, when contacted, confirmed the receipt of the letter but dismissed it as having no consequence to the ongoing selection process.
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