Facts came out on Sunday explaining why the much-awaited meeting to choose candidates for the vacant Awujale throne of Ijebu land was postponed by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
The PUNCH also learned that at least 60 people are interested in becoming the next Awujale.
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House is next in line to produce the Awujale after the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona, who died in July 2025 at the age of 91. Last Thursday, the family announced that the nomination meeting would hold on Monday.
The announcement was made in a letter dated December 11, 2025, signed by the family spokesman, Abiodun Ogidan. The meeting was to take place at Bisrod Hall, GRA, Ijebu-Ode.
The ruling house said only accredited family members would be allowed into the meeting. Each aspirant was to be represented by two family members—one to nominate the person and another to support the nomination. The aspirants themselves were not expected to attend the meeting.
Family members were also advised to behave peacefully and respectfully, as the process is very important and sacred.
However, in a statement released on Friday by the nomination committee, the ruling house announced that the meeting had been postponed. The statement said the postponement was due to issues beyond the family’s control and that a new date would be announced later.
Speaking to The PUNCH on Sunday, the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Abdulateef Owoyemi, said the meeting was postponed after the state government stepped in to avoid mistakes that could lead to court cases.
He explained that the ruling house was invited to a meeting by the state government on Tuesday to review the process and ensure it follows the law.
Owoyemi said the postponement had nothing to do with any individual, including Fuji musician Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM1), who the family had earlier said was not a member of the ruling house and therefore not qualified.
He said the government only wanted to make sure the process was done correctly to avoid legal problems. According to him, the family welcomed this intervention because it would help ensure a smooth and proper selection process.
The Vice Chairman of the ruling house, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, also confirmed that both the ruling house and the kingmakers were invited to meet with the government on Tuesday, which led to the postponement.
Prof. Yusuf said about 60 princes are currently interested in becoming the next Awujale. He explained that the government wants to ensure everything is in order before the nomination meeting is held.
He added that the meeting’s outcome would determine when the nomination exercise would finally take place and warned that anyone linking the postponement to personal interests was spreading false information.
Efforts to choose a new Awujale have increased in recent weeks after the local government gave the ruling house 14 days to submit the names of candidates for the throne.
