A vacation judge of the Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode, Justice A.A. Omoniyi, yesterday returned a suit filed by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House over the stalled selection of the next Awujale of Ijebuland to the administrative judge for reassignment.

The judge, who is presiding over Court 3, said he would commence his annual vacation within the next week and might not resume until January 2027.

Justice Omoniyi said he was aware of the urgency of the suit, marked HCJ/149/2026 and filed on August 21, 2026, but was constrained by time as he had only one week left before proceeding on vacation.

He consequently ordered, on an interim basis, that the case file be returned to the administrative judge for reallocation. He adjourned the matter until September 23 for further hearing.
Earlier, counsel to the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Olusegun Otayemi, told the court that all 15 defendants had been duly served and that his clients were ready to proceed with the case.

Counsel to the seventh to 15th defendants, including the Awujale kingmakers, Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye, SAN, said the defendants were still within the stipulated period to respond to the suit and would file their processes in due course.

A state counsel, W.A. Onawole, who appeared for the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN; and four other defendants, also told the court that they would respond within the time allowed by law.

The kingmakers, led by Olorogun (Dr) Sunny Kuku, co-founder of EKO Hospital and Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, were present in court.

Also present were the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi; his deputy, Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba; and the Vice Chairman, Prof. Fassy Yusuf.

Speaking after the proceedings, Otayemi said the ruling house instituted the action to challenge what it described as government interference in the selection process following the death of the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

He said the selection process had commenced before it was stopped, adding that the law did not permit its deliberate suspension.

“We’ve brought an action, essentially, because there was a stoppage of the selection process after it had been initiated. The law, as we know it, does not permit a deliberate stoppage”.

Otayemi said although delays could occur for legitimate reasons, the ruling house was opposed to what it described as an orchestrated halt to the process.

He added that the matter was urgent because Ijebu-Ode could not remain without an Awujale for an extended period.

The Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House,Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, said the family was compelled to seek judicial intervention after waiting for several months for the selection process to resume.

He said the ruling house completed its nomination process within the period prescribed by law, adding that 14 days were allowed for the exercise but the family concluded it within 10 days.

According to him, the kingmakers were then expected to complete the process within seven days before the government directed that it be stopped.

“From nowhere, a letter came asking that the whole thing stop because of what they call petitions, which we never saw. We don’t know who wrote the petitions, the security report which we have never seen a copy of till today’s date,” he said.

Owoyemi said efforts by religious leaders and other stakeholders in Ijebuland to secure the intervention of the governor had not yielded results.
“We can’t wait forever, and we have to approach the court for intervention”.

The ruling house had sued Governor Abiodun, the Awujale kingmakers and other government officials, including the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, seeking orders compelling the completion of the selection process for the next Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.

The suit was filed by Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf on behalf of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Other defendants include the Ogun State Executive Council; the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat; the Secretary of Ijebu-Ode Local Government; and the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

Members of the Awujale Afobaje/Kingmakers Council joined as defendants include Olorogun Sunny Kuku, Chief Rasheed Adesanya, Chief Oluwaranti Lekan Osifeso, Chief Jimi Lawal, Chief Abimbola Okenla, Chief Kunle Ogunade, Chief Agboola Alausa, Chief Adebisi Adaran and Chief Ayotunde Ola Odulaja.

Among other reliefs, the claimants are asking the court to determine whether the state government had the legal authority to order or facilitate the alleged entry into and locking of the Awujale Palace on January 20, 2026, which they said was intended to prevent the kingmakers from convening and concluding the statutory selection process.

They are also asking the court to determine whether the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law 2021 permits the government to halt the nomination or selection process for the Awujale “under any guise.”

The claimants further want the court to determine whether, having convened a meeting of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and completed its internal nomination process within the period prescribed by law, the family had discharged its statutory responsibility under Section 16 of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021.

The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona at the age of 91, after 65 years on the throne.

The Ogun State Government halted the selection process in January 2026, citing petitions from security agencies and stakeholders. This followed an earlier suspension of the process in December 2025 over alleged procedural concerns.

A total of 95 aspirants — 94 princes and one princess — reportedly emerged from the ruling house nomination exercise held in Ijebu-Ode in December before the government halted the process.