Ijebu Chiefs Drag Ogun Gov, Reconstituted Interregnum Council to Court Over Awujale Stool

​The legal battle over the traditional leadership of Ijebuland has escalated following a lawsuit filed by the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council against Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and members of the recently reconstituted Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC).

​The suit, marked HCJ/201/2026 and filed before the State High Court in Ijebu-Ode, challenges what the plaintiffs describe as an unlawful state interference in the traditional administrative structures of the ancient kingdom.

​Core Contentions of the Plaintiffs

• ​Challenging State Action: The nine-member Adele council—led by the Adele and Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, Dr Sonny Kuku—is asking the court to invalidate the establishment and reconstitution of the AIAC.
• ​Recognition of Customary Authority: The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration affirming that the Adele system is the sole legitimate traditional administrative authority recognized under native law, custom, and ancestral practices during an interregnum.
• ​Restraint on Appointees: The suit seeks perpetual injunctions to restrain the governor and relevant ministries from bypassing the Adele council, alongside orders preventing the reconstituted AIAC members from holding meetings or exercising civil, traditional, or financial authority over Ijebu-Ode.

​Background to the Dispute

​The vacancy on the exalted throne arose following the passing of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, in July 2025 at the age of 91, after a historic 65-year reign.

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​Following the monarch’s transition, the Ogun State Government initially constituted the AIAC in August 2025. However, traditional chiefs subsequently resolved to dissolve the interim council and transition governance responsibilities to the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council.

​In response, the state government maintained that neither the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration nor the state’s Obas and Chiefs Law explicitly recognizes the Adele system. Consequently, the government proceeded to reconstitute the AIAC—appointing high-ranking chiefs including the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, High Chief Rasheed Adesanya, as chairman, and Chief Chris Okunowo as secretary—to oversee traditional and administrative affairs until a new substantive monarch is crowned.

​The ongoing legal tussle adds a fresh layer of complexity to the royal transition process in Ijebuland, which has also faced previous suspensions and legal hurdles concerning the selection of a successor from the ruling houses.