The Council of Otunbas in Ijebuland has said that there is no law in Ogun State that stops anyone with the Otunba title from becoming the Awujale of Ijebuland.
The council was responding to claims that Otunba titleholders are not allowed to contest for the Awujale stool. It said that in the past, people who held the Otunba title have become Awujale.
In a letter sent to the Awujale interregnum administrative council, the Otunbas rejected the claim. The letter was signed by the council’s chairman, B. Alebiosu; second vice-chairman, Akin Osiyemi; and secretary, Ayodele Osibogun.
The council referred to the Chieftaincy Declarations registered in 1957 and approved in 1959, stating that these declarations are the only rules guiding the selection of the Awujale.
According to the council, the declarations do not say that an eligible candidate should be disqualified simply because he once held the Otunba title.
The council added that any so-called customary rule not written in the registered declarations has no legal support.
It warned that excluding qualified candidates from the selection process could lead to court cases and cause tension in the community.
The council also said the Awujale stool is a respected traditional institution and not a political position.
Tension has continued to rise in Ogun State over the selection of a new Awujale after the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona on July 13, 2025. He died at the age of 91 after ruling for 65 years.
The Ogun State Government later ordered the suspension of the selection process. In a letter dated January 20, 2026, and signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, the government said the decision was due to increasing petitions.
One of the petitions was reportedly from popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, who alleged that some candidates were being unfairly excluded.
However, the kingmakers and ruling house have insisted that the process should follow traditional rules and be free from outside interference.
