AWUJALE STOOL: When Kingmakers lack the capacity to make a king

By Otunba Abiodun Olufowobi

It may require more than goodwill to rescue the Awujale stool of Ijebu-Ode from the dense legal and customary cobwebs now entangling its foundations. What confronts Ijebu-Ode today is not merely a question of succession; it is a crisis of jurisdiction, capacity, and legitimacy—long incubated by the gradual erosion of traditional institutions and now violently exposed by the inevitability of transition.

For the avoidance of doubt, in the legal terrain, any administrative or quasi-judicial body whose decisions affect the rights of persons must be constituted strictly in accordance with its enabling law or valid native law and custom. Jurisdiction, capacity, and fair hearing are non-negotiable. Where any of these elements is absent, whatever decision such a body purports to make—however well-intentioned—amounts to a nullity.
Jurisdiction is foundational. Once the competence of even a single member of such a body is successfully impugned, the entire process collapses. Expecting legitimacy from an improperly constituted body is like standing at Imodi-Imosan expecting a flight to London—an exercise in futility.

THE OLISA’S PETITION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS
Against this backdrop, I received—with grave concern—a letter attributed to the so-called “Advisory Council of the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode.” While such a body is unknown to law, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode himself is a legally recognised authority. Since the letter has not been disclaimed by the Olisa’s palace, it is reasonable to infer that the apple has not fallen far from the tree. The Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, is the head of the Ilámurẹ̀n class and leader of the statutory kingmakers. In the letter dated 24 January 2026 and addressed to the Governor of Ogun State, the purported “Olisa Council” raised grave objections to the constitution of certain members of the Ilámurẹ̀n class. It alleged, in some instances, incomplete investiture rites, and in others, a complete absence of valid selection and requisite capacity.

If these assertions are factually and customarily correct, the implication is stark and unavoidable: Ijebu-Ode is not yet ready to select a new Awujale. The statutory electors themselves have not been properly constituted. Put simply, kingmakers who lack capacity cannot make a king.

THE STATUTORY KINGMAKERS
By the relevant laws, the recognised kingmakers for the Awujale stool are drawn from the following bodies:

The Ilámurẹ̀n Class
Olisa of Ijebu-Ode – Chief Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya
Ogbeni Oja – Chief Folorunso Sunny Kuku
Egbo – Vacant
Apebi – Chief Ololade Odumosu (Disputed)
Olotu-Ifọ̀re – Chief Jimi Lawal
Olotu-Olowa – Chief Lekan Osifeso

The Odi Class
Ogbeni Odi-Imesi – Chief Adanran Gbẹ̀dén
Eketa Odi-Iletu – Vacant

The Òṣùgbó
Oliwo – Vacant

The Pampa Class
Agbon – Vacant
Kakanfo – Chief Abimbola Okenla
Lapoekun – Chief Tunde Odulaja
Balogun – Alhaji Agboola Alausa

Now then, the Olisa, second only to the Awujale in traditional hierarchy, is the recognised head of the Ilámurẹ̀n and a principal custodian of Ijebu custom. It is within his remit to administer oaths and oversee investiture into the Ilámurẹ̀n council.

Acting within this authority, the Olisa recently inducted Chief Lekan Osifeso as Olotu-Olowa and Chief Jimi Lawal as Olotu-Ifọ̀re, following the prescribed rites of Idagbe, Ikajue, and Iboje, witnessed by Osugbos, elders, Agemos, and other dignitaries. On that occasion, the Ilámurẹ̀n council firmly resisted attempts to induct parallel claimants to the offices of Apebi and Jàgìnrìn, reiterating that Ijebu custom does not permit multiple holders of the same Ilámurẹ̀n title. Any such duplication constitutes an eewo—a taboo with grave communal consequences.

It is therefore ominous that the “Olisa council” should formally petition the Governor on defects affecting the structural integrity of the Awujale selection process. The objections strike at the heart of the exercise and cannot be ignored.

In the petition titled “Aberrations in the Awujale Selection Process,” the council asserted that only four Ilámurẹ̀n chiefs had completed valid investiture rites and further alleged that the Ogbeni Oja himself was yet to comply. If true, participation by inchoate chiefs would render the entire Awujale selection exercise legally and customarily void, exposing it to fatal legal challenge.

INDUCEMENT AND THE CORROSION OF LEGITIMACY
Compounding these structural defects are disturbing allegations that certain aspirants have sought to induce kingmakers with pecuniary or material benefits. Once inducement enters the process, independence is compromised and legitimacy fatally wounded. Decisions reached under such influence are liable, upon challenge, to be set aside for bad faith and breach of native law and custom.

HOW WE ARRIVED HERE
To the discerning observer, these developments are not surprising. The late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba II, reigned for an extraordinary 65 years—a monarch revered, powerful, and deeply respected.
Yet longevity has consequences. Over time, the Awujale stool—designed to function within a collegial system of active traditional institutions support system —became increasingly personalised. Replacement of deceased chiefs was delayed or avoided. Institutions such as the Òṣùgbó, meant to stabilise and correct excesses, were allowed to atrophy. The Iledi Òṣùgbó in the city fell into wanton waste. Other traditional gatekeepers, including the Agemos, became largely ceremonial. What remained was a system ill-prepared for transition. The present hiccups are therefore understandable—though not excusable. The situation calls not for haste, but for patience, conscience, humility, and strict adherence to custom.

A WARNING: IS HISTORY ABOUT TO REPEAT ITSELF?
History has a way of teaching harsh lessons—especially when lessons go unheeded. The succession crises of the past serve not merely as stories, but as warnings. Ijebu-Ode has faced moments where custom, legitimacy, and law were set aside for convenience or influence—and the consequences were profound. The question now is whether we have learned enough to avoid repeating them.

Also Read: Abiodun denies clash with Awujale Kingmakers

On 17 February 1951, the then Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Fasasi Olatunji Sonubi (Abinufoyesile), resigned on religious grounds, citing an irreconcilable conflict between Islamic faith and traditional rites. That resignation ignited a succession crisis within the Dogba (Jasan) family whose embers would smoulder for years.
To succeed the Olisa, ten names were submitted to the Odis who subjected the names to Ifa consultation—Ijebu’s most sacred arbiter— which unequivocally favoured Salawu Olusoga (alias A-Black) for the Olisa stool. In obedience to custom, Salawu was prepared and sent to the traditional Ipebi house at Ijada (Afokoro), where he was to undergo the prescribed three-month seclusion before proceeding to Ilisa, the official residence of the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode.

That lawful sequence, however, was abruptly interrupted. A rising elite class in Ijebu-Ode—echoing the colonial preference for “educated” chiefs considered more amenable to modern administration—intervened decisively. Custom was not merely questioned; it was overridden. The sun set prematurely on Oguuja Salawu Olusoga’s ambition, not for want of legitimacy, but for want of elite approval.

A coalition of elites (Sanmonris),led by Chief T. A. Odutola (the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu-Ode) and supported by other prominent figures within the Ijebu-Ode elite, rejected the Ifa-endorsed candidate. In his place, they pursued an “educated” alternative: Mr. Kafaru Adedeji Akinsanya (Aniyameta), who was installed on 18 July 1952 at Itoro Hall as Olisa-designate, albeit without statutory authority.

The Awujale, Oba Daniel Adesanya, acting with popular backing of the Olorituns and the people, rejected this irregular installation. He maintained that custom had already spoken through Ifa and that Olusoga remained the lawful choice. The town was split, institutions were strained, and the social fabric of Ijebu-Ode was put to a severe test.

The House of Chiefs in Ibadan had to intervene in March 1953, sending a Peace Mission of Yoruba monarchs—including the Ooni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo, Alake of Egba, and Oba of Lagos. After deliberation, the mission nonetheless endorsed Oba Akinsanya, possibly influenced by the wealth of the Odutola group and the argument for an educated Olisa. The Awujale also reluctantly accepted the recommendation of the Peace Mission in the interest of peace. (See: NAI: Ije Prof 2: C.151/1, Report of the Peace Mission appointed by the House of Chiefs of the Western Region to settle the Olisa Chieftaincy Dispute in Ijebu-Ode Division of Ijebu Province, 16/3/1953).

Salawu Olusoga pursued legal redress, and in December 1953 instituted action against the colonial government. On 3 January 1955, the Supreme Court upheld Akinsanya’s appointment. Law had spoken—but history kept its own counsel.

The lesson endures: peace imposed without legitimacy may silence conflict, but it does not resolve it. When custom is bypassed to satisfy personal influence, political preference, or expediency, a crown may be placed, yet the stool remains unsettled and vulnerable.

Ijebu-Ode now faces a moment eerily reminiscent of that era. If the present Awujale selection is rushed, compromised by partiality, or carried out by kingmakers whose capacity or authority is in doubt, history will not forgive the oversight. Legitimacy must guide action, not convenience; custom must prevail over faction; and the collective interest of the people must remain paramount. Anything less, risks repeating the divisions and unrest of the past.

THE WAY FORWARD
The solution is neither dramatic nor novel. It lies in:
Respect the Olisa’s leadership in resolving contested Ilámurẹ̀n offices.
Ensure completion of all prescribed rites of investiture.
Reconstitute kingmakers so every participant acts with unimpeachable capacity.
Insulate the process from inducement, factionalism, and haste.
It is better to proceed slowly and correctly than quickly and disastrously. Where there is no crack in the wall, the lizard cannot hide. What is rightly done cannot end wrongly.

CONCLUSION
The Awujale stool is a sacred trust held in perpetuity for the people of Ijebu-Ode. It cannot be procured by inducement, factional manoeuvre, or administrative convenience. Where the selection of a traditional ruler is shown to have been influenced by improper benefit, the entire exercise stands liable to be set aside, regardless of the identity or status of the beneficiary.
The present dissonance between the Olisa and the Ogbeni Oja echoes dangerous precedents. I respectfully urge both the Oguuja and Chief Folorunso Sunny Kuku to place the collective interest of Ijebu-Ode above all competing considerations. Without such restraint, the Awujale selection process risks derailment. There is no longer a House of Chiefs to mediate any resulting crisis.

PABIEKUN