Battle to pick new Awujale of Ijebu land gets messy

By Innocent Raphael –

The process to select the next Awujale of Ijebu land turned chaotic on Wednesday as the Ogun State government halted the succession following a standoff between Governor Dapo Abiodun and the council of Afobajes, alongside petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders.

Sources say the tension began late Tuesday night when Governor Abiodun summoned members of the Afobajes for a meeting that extended into the early hours of Wednesday. During the session, he reportedly presented Hon. Ademorin Kuye as his preferred candidate and also as the choice from the Federal Headquarters, directing the Afobajes to endorse him as the next Awujale.

“The Governor told them, ‘Hon. Kuye is the preferred choice from HQ and my candidate. You are to present him as the Awujale,’” a source said. “But the council of Afobajes expressly rejected the directive, insisting on due process.”

The source added, “They told him that HQ should communicate directly with them and not through anyone. When the Governor said, ‘No Kuye, No Awujale,’ the Afobajes replied that they would rather have Ijebu remain without an Awujale than allow Kuye to be imposed on them using the name of HQ to intimidate them.”

One Afobaje reportedly reminded the governor that “Iperu, his hometown, has never had an Oba because attempts to impose candidates on the Afobajes there were resisted. Till today, there is no Oba in Iperu.” The reminder reportedly further angered the governor.

The standoff escalated Wednesday morning when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly took over the Awujale palace, preventing the Afobajes from gaining access. This coincided with a viral statement from the Ogun State government, signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, halting the selection process.

The statement cited “numerous petitions and reports from security agencies and other key stakeholders,” emphasising the need to maintain public order and protect the integrity of the stool. It referenced the provisions of the Obas and Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State, 2021, which empower the government to suspend appointments in the interest of peace, order and good governance.

The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of 91-year-old Oba Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for 65 years. According to sources, the Afobajes and Ijebu residents have vowed to “rather remain without an Awujale until Governor Abiodun leaves office next year than compromise the selection process.”