The race to select the next Awujale of Ijebuland has taken a fresh turn after the Fusengbuwa Ruling House removed three of its key leaders amid allegations of bribery, document manipulation and procedural violations.The affected officials are the ruling house chairman, Abdulateef Owoyemi, vice-chairman Prof Fassy Yusuf, and deputy chairman Adeodokun Ajidagba.
Their removal followed the adoption of findings contained in a 25-page report produced by a nine-member fact-finding committee established to investigate petitions surrounding the Awujale succession process.
The decision was announced at a meeting held at the Agunsebi Family House in Ijebu Ode, which was presided over by the ruling house secretary, Adeleke Adeyemi.
The fact-finding committee was chaired by Olusegun Olusoga, with Adeyemo Oduneye serving as secretary, after petitions alleging bribery and other irregularities were submitted against the three officials.
Presenting the committee's findings, Oduneye said only Owoyemi appeared before the panel, while Yusuf and Ajidagba reportedly declined invitations to give evidence.
The committee alleged that the leadership of the ruling house had suffered a breakdown in unity and communication, affecting the credibility of the process for compiling and submitting candidates for the vacant traditional stool.
It further alleged that candidates were not properly classified in line with provisions of the Awujale Declaration and accused the affected officials of exceeding powers belonging to the wider ruling house.
The committee consequently recommended that the three officials step aside in the interest of peace, unity and the integrity of the Awujale institution.
Members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House subsequently adopted the report and voted for the immediate removal of the three leaders.
Adeyemi said the decision followed the committee's findings on alleged bribery and other forms of malpractice connected to the succession process.
He added that the ruling house would formally communicate the decision to the Ogun State Government and commence steps to constitute new leadership for the succession exercise.
Oduneye also alleged that the affected officials supported particular aspirants and were involved in the manipulation of documents submitted during the selection process.
He said the ruling house would rather restart aspects of the process than proceed with the selection of an Awujale through a procedure it considered lacking in credibility.The removed officials, however, have rejected the allegations and challenged the validity of the decision taken against them.
Yusuf described those behind the move as troublemakers and threatened legal action if the allegations against him were not established.
He also questioned Adeyemi's involvement in the meeting, alleging that the ruling house secretary is himself an aspirant to the Awujale throne and should therefore not have presided over proceedings relating to the succession process.
Owoyemi likewise rejected the committee's conclusions, describing them as baseless and accusing those behind the action of attempting to create division within the ruling house.
The latest development adds another layer of uncertainty to an already prolonged succession process following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona in July 2025 after 65 years on the throne.
The Ogun State Government had previously halted the succession exercise in January 2026 following petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders, after an earlier suspension over procedural concerns in December 2025.
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House had produced 95 aspirants, comprising 94 princes and one princess, during the nomination exercise for the vacant throne.
With the ruling house now facing an internal leadership dispute alongside disagreements over the succession process, the selection of the next Awujale could face further delays.The latest crisis also places renewed attention on the need for transparency, adherence to established traditional procedures and broad stakeholder confidence before the next occupant of the historic Ijebu throne is chosen.