Members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, have removed three of its leaders over allegations of financial inducement, document manipulation and breaches of due process.
Those removed are the ruling house Chairman, Abdulateef Owoyemi; Vice-Chairman, Prof. Fassy Yusuf; and Deputy Chairman, Adeodokun Ajidagba. The allegations stem from their handling of the selection of the next Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.
The decision followed the adoption of a 25-page report by a nine-member fact-finding committee set up to investigate allegations against the trio.
The decision was announced at a meeting held at the Agunsebi Family House, Ijebu Ode, and presided over by the Secretary of the ruling house, Adeleke Adeyemi.
The fact-finding committee was chaired by Olusegun Olusoga, while Adeyemo Oduneye served as secretary. The committee was reportedly constituted in June 2026 after petitions containing allegations of bribery and other irregularities were filed against the three leaders in connection with the selection of a successor to the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona.
Presenting the committee’s report, Oduneye said only Owoyemi appeared before the panel, while Ajidagba and Yusuf declined its invitation.
According to the report, the committee found that the process of compiling and submitting the list of candidates lacked transparency, due process, proper screening and a unified approach.
“There is a manifest breakdown of unity, communication, and cohesion among the trio acclaimed Olori-Ebis,” the report stated.
It alleged that the chairman, deputy chairman and vice-chairman failed to classify the candidates in accordance with the statutory provisions of the Awujale Declaration.
The committee described the alleged failure as a “deliberate dereliction” of the responsibilities entrusted to the ruling house leadership, accusing the trio of usurping the powers of the wider ruling house.
Among its recommendations, the committee called on Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf to step aside from their respective positions in the interest of peace, unity and respect for the Awujale institution. The ruling house subsequently adopted the report and voted for the immediate removal of the three leaders.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Adeyemi said the decision was based on the findings of the fact-finding committee concerning alleged bribery and other irregularities in the selection process.
He said the committee had investigated issues within the ruling house and found that some of the Olori-Ebis were allegedly involved in malpractice, including bribery.
Also Read: Oyo prepares to install Adeduntan as Balogun
“The committee presented its findings at the meeting, and the ruling house reached a unanimous decision that they should be removed,” Adeyemi said.
He added that the ruling house would communicate its decision to the Ogun State Government and begin the process of selecting a new leadership to oversee the affairs of the family.
Also speaking, Oduneye accused the three leaders of administrative lapses, including alleged financial inducement, support for certain candidates and manipulation of documents without following due process.
He said the selection process, as handled by the affected leaders, lacked credibility and that their removal was necessary to enable the ruling house to appoint new leadership.
Oduneye said the possibility of restarting the selection process would not deter the family if doing so was necessary to ensure a credible outcome.
“It all boils down to the leadership failure, so the Ijebu people need to relax and be patient. It’s better we do it well than to rush at it and present wrong results,” he said.
However, Yusuf rejected the allegations and urged the public to disregard the claims made against him and the other affected leaders.
Describing those behind the decision as “a bunch of rabble-rousers and confusionists,” Yusuf said the allegations were baseless and that he would consider legal action for defamation.
He also questioned Adeyemi’s role in the process, alleging that the secretary who presided over the meeting was himself an aspirant to the Awujale throne. “How could somebody under you set up a panel to probe you? Probe you for what? Who are they?” Yusuf asked.
He denied participating in the compilation of the list of candidates, saying the process was carried out in his office without his involvement.
“They used my office; I did not even see them. I did not even step inside, deliberately, because that’s my life. They used my conference room for the compilation. They are rabble-rousers,” he said.
Owoyemi also rejected the committee’s findings and denied any wrongdoing in the Awujale selection process. Describing those who removed him and his colleagues as “a bunch of rebels,” Owoyemi said their decision “lacks substance” and accused them of attempting to divide the ruling house.
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. The process had earlier been suspended in December 2025 over procedural concerns.
A total of 95 aspirants, comprising 94 princes and one princess, emerged from the Fusengbuwa Ruling House nomination process held in Ijebu Ode.
PUNCH
