By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Ogun State Government has halted the ongoing process to select a new Awujale of Ijebuland, citing a surge of petitions, reports from security agencies, and the need to maintain public order around the controversial succession.
The suspension was announced in a letter dated January 20, 2026, signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, and sent to the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government. Government officials said the decision was taken to protect the integrity and veneration of the Awujale stool, which has come under intense public scrutiny following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who reigned for 65 years.
“The State Government has received several petitions, reports from security agencies and other key stakeholders in relation to the ongoing selection process,” the letter reads in part, adding that the Obas and Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State, 2021 empowers the government to intervene for peace and good governance.
The move brings a pause to activities that were set to advance the nomination and appointment of a successor to the vacant Awujale throne, with stakeholders including the Awujale Kingmakers Council and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House advised to await further directives.
The decision follows a blistering petition by Fuji music icon Wasiu Ayinde Adesanya, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate or KWAM 1, who had written to the state executive council challenging the nomination process conducted by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. In his petition, K1 alleged that he and other eligible members had been excluded from the January 12 nomination meeting in Ijebu-Ode, claiming fundamental breaches of the state’s chieftaincy law and the chieftaincy declaration governing the Awujale stool.
Earlier this month, BlackBox Nigeria reported that K1 had filed legal actions in the Ogun State High Court seeking to halt the exercise, but a court dismissed his application for an interim injunction. He later withdrew his suit after the court set dates for further hearing.
Heavy security presence has been reported around the Awujale palace in Ijebu-Ode following the government’s decision, as officials seek to prevent disorder amid the uncertainty surrounding the succession process.
Observers say the suspension reflects the complex interplay of tradition, law, and community interest in the selection of one of southwestern Nigeria’s most revered traditional stools. Stakeholders now await further announcements from the state government on when and how the process will be restarted.
