The Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode, Prof. Fassy Adetokunboh Yusuf, has faulted the Ogun State Government’s suspension of the selection process for the vacant Awujale stool, declaring that the government lacks the legal authority to halt the process.
Yusuf, who is also the Baagbimo of Ijebu, made the assertion on Wednesday at a press conference organised by the Grand Council of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to address recent controversies and speculations surrounding the leadership of the ruling house and the suspended selection process.
The Ogun State Government had, on December 11, 2025, suspended the Awujale selection process, citing “procedural errors” and possible violations of the law.
Although the suspension was lifted on January 6, 2026, the government again halted the process on January 20, 2026, citing the need to “maintain public order, protect the integrity of the process, and maintain the veneration of the stool” following petitions challenging the exercise.
On both occasions, the state government maintained that its actions were within the powers conferred on it by the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs’ Law, 2021.
However, Yusuf rejected the government’s position, insisting that it had no legal authority to suspend the selection process.
He disclosed that the Fusengbuwa Ruling House would institute legal action to challenge the government’s decision, adding that the ruling house had earlier written an open letter to the state government on May 3, 2026, demanding an end to the embargo on the selection process.
Meanwhile, the Chairman and Olori Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, called for the immediate resumption of the selection process, saying the continued delay in filling the vacant stool had become a source of concern across Ijebu land.
Owoyemi, a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), said the entire Ijebu community was worried by the prolonged vacancy, expressing optimism that the process would resume within the next few weeks.
He explained that the Fusengbuwa Ruling House had completed its responsibilities in the selection exercise by submitting the names of eligible aspirants to the kingmakers.
According to him, the 13 kingmakers are expected to scrutinise the aspirants and, through a majority decision, recommend one candidate to the state government for approval.
The controversy over the selection process comes amid heightened expectations among residents and stakeholders in Ijebu land, who are awaiting the emergence of a successor to the late Awujale of Ijebuland.
