Kingless for Over a Year: Ogun Govt, Kingmakers Dragged to Court Over Stalled Awujale Selection

A Throne That Remains Empty

For over a year, the ancient kingdom of Ijebuland has existed without a king. The revered Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who ruled for an extraordinary 65 years, joined his ancestors in July 2025 at the age of 91.

What many expected to be a solemn but orderly transition has instead unfolded into a tense and complex succession battle, one steeped in royal lineage disputes, government interference, and now, a legal showdown.

The Fusengbuwa Ruling House, from which the next Awujale is expected to emerge by custom, has dragged Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Ogun State Government, and the Awujale kingmakers before the High Court of Justice in Ijebu-Ode.

The Midnight Police Raid

The crisis took a dramatic turn on January 20, 2026. According to the ruling house, less than 24 hours after they submitted a list of nominees to the kingmakers, police officers entered the Awujale Palace after midnight and prevented the kingmakers from meeting to select a candidate.

The ruling house alleges that the police action was carried out on the instructions of the Ogun State Government. The government cited security concerns and allegations of bribery, but the ruling house insists no evidence was ever presented.

“We Cannot Wait Forever”

Speaking to journalists after the court proceedings on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, revealed the family’s frustration.

“We waited for seven months. We had only 14 days by law to do what we have done. And we did it within 10 days, and immediately we delivered the papers to the kingmakers; they only had seven days to finish and appoint an Awujale,” Owoyemi said.”

From nowhere, a letter came asking that the whole thing stop because of what they call petitions, which we never saw. We don’t know who wrote the petitions, or the security report, which we have never seen a copy of till today’s date,” he added.

“We can’t wait forever! And we have to approach the court for intervention,” Owoyemi declared.

Court Adjourns as Judge Proceeds on Vacation

The suit, marked HCJ/149/2026, was filed on August 21, 2026. It challenges the alleged stoppage of the selection process for the next Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland.

However, the case hit an unexpected snag.

Justice A. A. Omoniyi, a vacation judge of the Ogun State High Court sitting in Court 3, Ijebu-Ode, revealed that he would be proceeding on his annual vacation within the next week and might not resume until January 2027.

Though aware of the urgency of the matter, the judge said he was constrained by the limited time available to him before his vacation.

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He ordered that the case file be returned to the administrative judge for reallocation and adjourned the matter until September 23, 2026 for further hearing.

The Defendants

All 15 defendants have been duly served with the originating processes. The defendants include the Ogun State Governor, the State Attorney General, the Ogun State Executive Council, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and 11 others.

Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye, SAN, announced his appearance for the seventh to 15th defendants, including the kingmakers, while state counsel W. A. Onawole appeared for Governor Abiodun and four other defendants.

The kingmakers were present in court, led by Olorogun (Dr) Sunny Kuku, co-founder of EKO Hospital and the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland.

A Kingdom in Limbo

“This matter is something that has some urgency in it. Ijebu-Ode cannot remain kingless for so long, and that is one of the reasons why we are in court,” counsel to the ruling house, Otunba Olusegun Otayemi, told journalists.

He added: “We’ve brought an action, essentially, because there was a stoppage of the selection process after it had been initiated. The law, as we know it, does not permit a deliberate stoppage” .