Facts emerged on Sunday on why the much-anticipated nomination meeting of candidates for the vacant Awujale stool and paramount ruler of Ijebu land was postponed by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
The PUNCH also learnt that the number of aspirants seeking to become the next Awujale is not fewer than 60.
Recall that the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, which is next in line to produce the Awujale following the death of the 91-year-old Oba Sikiru Adetona in July 2025, had announced last Thursday that the nomination meeting would be held on Monday.
The announcement was contained in a letter dated December 11, 2025, signed by the family’s spokesman, Abiodun Ogidan.
The meeting was scheduled to take place at Bisrod Hall, GRA, Ijebu-Ode.
The ruling house had outlined strict protocols for the exercise, stressing that only accredited family members would be allowed entry.
It also stated that each aspirant would be represented by two family members, with one nominating the candidate and the other seconding the nomination.
The ruling house further directed that aspirants themselves would not attend the meeting but would be represented by the two accredited family members.
Family members and accredited representatives were also urged to conduct themselves with utmost peace, respect and orderliness befitting the sacred process.
However, in a subsequent statement issued on Friday by the nomination committee, the ruling house announced the postponement of the meeting.
The statement, titled “To All Members of Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Ijebu-Ode,” read: “Due to circumstances beyond the family’s control, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House Awujale Nomination Meeting scheduled for Monday, 15th December 2025, has been postponed. The new date will be announced shortly. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Speaking exclusively with The PUNCH on Sunday, the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and former National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Abdulateef Owoyemi, said the meeting was put on hold following an intervention by the state government to prevent procedural errors that could result in litigation.
Owoyemi explained that the postponement was to enable the ruling house to attend a meeting scheduled by the state government on Tuesday to review the process so far and ensure compliance with existing laws.
He dismissed insinuations that the decision was linked to the reported candidature of Fuji musician, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM1), whom the ruling house had previously said was not a member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and therefore not eligible to contest.
Owoyemi said, “The postponement of the nomination meeting has nothing to do with any individual, far from that.
“What actually happened is that we received a summons from the state government for a meeting on Tuesday. The meeting is to ensure that everything is done correctly so that the selection process does not become a fertile ground for litigation or generate legal controversy.
“It is a process of comparing notes and ensuring that we cross our Ts and dot our Is. We appreciate this because it will help maintain standards and ensure that the process is flawless. There is nothing to worry about.”
Also speaking with The PUNCH on Sunday, the Vice Chairman of the ruling house, Prof Fassy Yusuf, confirmed that both the ruling house and the kingmakers had been invited to a meeting with the government on Tuesday, necessitating the postponement.
Prof Yusuf added that the number of princes aspiring to succeed the late Awujale was not fewer than 60.
The University of Lagos Professor of Mass Communication said, “There are certain things we have not done, so the government has scheduled a meeting with us for Tuesday. The government will meet with the ruling house, the kingmakers, and the Awujale Interregnum Committee.
“It is to ensure that everything is in order, and it is the outcome of this meeting that will determine when the nomination meeting will be held.
“The postponement has nothing to do with anyone. Anyone saying otherwise is being mischievous and spreading falsehood. So far, about 60 people are in the race to become the next Awujale.”
Efforts to find a successor to the highly revered Oba Adetona, who reigned for 65 years before his death in July, had recently intensified following a directive by the local government giving the ruling house 14 days to submit the names of candidates for the throne.
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