New details have emerged explaining why the Fusengbuwa ruling house postponed the nomination meeting for the vacant stool of the Awujale of Ijebuland.
PUNCH Online reports that more than 60 candidates are vying to succeed the late Oba Sikiru Adetona, who passed away in July 2025 at the age of 91.
The Fusengbuwa ruling house, next in line to produce the Awujale, had initially scheduled the nomination meeting for Monday, following an official announcement on December 11, 2025. The notice, signed by the family’s spokesman, Abiodun Ogidan, indicated that the meeting would take place at Bisrod Hall, GRA, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
Strict protocols were outlined for the event. Only accredited family members were allowed entry, and each candidate had to be represented by two family members—one to nominate and the other to second the nomination. Candidates themselves were not permitted to attend, with nominees acting on their behalf. Family members and representatives were urged to maintain peace, respect, and order throughout the process.
However, the Nomination Committee later issued a statement on Friday, announcing the postponement. The statement, addressed “To All Members of Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Ijebu-Ode,” read:
“Due to circumstances beyond the family’s control, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House Awujale nomination meeting scheduled for Monday, December 15, 2025, has been postponed. The new date will be announced shortly. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH on Sunday, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, Chairman of the Fusengbuwa ruling house and former National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, said the delay followed a government intervention aimed at preventing procedural mistakes that could lead to legal disputes.
Owoyemi emphasized that the postponement was not linked to any individual candidate, including Fuji musician Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM1, who had reportedly been said to be ineligible due to non-membership of the ruling house.
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“The postponement of the nomination meeting has nothing to do with any individual, far from that,” Owoyemi said. “What actually happened is that we received a summons from the state government for a meeting on Tuesday. The meeting is to ensure that everything is done properly so that the selection process does not become a fertile ground for litigation or generate legal controversy. It is a matter of comparing notes and ensuring that we cross our Ts and dot our Is. We appreciate this because it will improve our standards and ensure that the process is flawless. There is nothing to worry about.”
Prof. Fassy Yusuf, Vice Chairman of the ruling house, also confirmed that the postponement was due to a scheduled government meeting involving the ruling house, kingmakers, and the Awujale Interregnum Committee.
“There are certain things we have not done, so the government has scheduled a meeting with us for Tuesday. The government will meet with the ruling house, the kingmakers and the Awujale Interregnum Committee. It is to ensure that everything is in order, and the outcome of this meeting will determine when next we will hold the nomination meeting,” he said.
Prof. Yusuf added that the number of princes aspiring to succeed the late Oba Adetona is no fewer than 60.
Efforts to select a successor to the late Awujale had intensified after the local government reportedly gave the ruling house 14 days to submit candidates for the throne.