Awujale Succession: Court Returns Fusengbuwa Suit for Reassignment

The legal battle over the selection of the next Awujale of Ijebuland has taken another turn, as an Ogun State High Court judge handling the case has returned the matter to the administrative judge for reassignment.

Justice A.A. Omoniyi, sitting at the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu-Ode, made the decision on Wednesday after explaining that he would soon proceed on his annual vacation and might not return until January 2027.

The case, filed by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, is challenging the stoppage of the process for selecting a successor to the late Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona. The suit was filed on August 21, 2026, and registered as HCJ/149/2026.

Justice Omoniyi said he was aware of the urgency surrounding the matter but had only about one week left before beginning his vacation. He therefore ordered, as an interim measure, that the case file be returned to the administrative judge so that it could be assigned to another judge.

The matter has been adjourned until September 23, 2026, for further hearing. The reassignment is expected to determine how quickly the legal challenge can proceed while the controversy over the vacant traditional stool continues.

The Fusengbuwa Ruling House had approached the court after accusing the Ogun State Government of interfering with the process for choosing the next Awujale. The ruling house wants the court to compel the relevant authorities and kingmakers to continue and complete the selection process.

Counsel to the ruling house, Otunba Olusegun Otayemi, told the court that all 15 defendants had been served with the originating court documents. He said his clients were ready to proceed with the case.

However, counsel representing the seventh to 15th defendants, including members of the Awujale kingmakers, said the defendants were still within the period allowed by law to respond. He indicated that the necessary court processes would be filed in due course.

The Ogun State Government was also represented in court. State counsel W.A. Onawole appeared for Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN, and other government defendants.

At the centre of the dispute is the decision to stop the selection process after the Fusengbuwa Ruling House had conducted its nomination exercise. The government had earlier said the process was halted because of petitions and reports from security agencies and other stakeholders.

The ruling house, however, has disputed the basis for the continued suspension. Its chairman, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, said the family had completed its part of the process within the period provided by law but was later asked to stop following petitions which, according to him, the family had not been shown.

The ruling house is also 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 the claimants say prevented the kingmakers from meeting to continue the statutory selection process.

Another major issue before the court is whether the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021 gives the government the power to stop the nomination or selection of an Awujale under any circumstances. The ruling house is also asking the court to determine whether it had fulfilled its statutory responsibility after completing its internal nomination process.

The Awujale throne has remained vacant since the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona in July 2025 at the age of 91. The late monarch had spent about 65 years on the throne, making his reign one of the longest in Nigeria’s modern traditional history.

The succession process has since been surrounded by disagreements, petitions and legal challenges. A nomination exercise conducted by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House produced 95 aspirants — 94 princes and one princess — before the government halted the process.

The latest court development does not resolve the dispute over who should become the next Awujale. Instead, it means the case will now have to be reassigned before substantive proceedings on the claims can continue.

For the people of Ijebuland, the issue remains particularly sensitive because the Awujale is not only a traditional ruler but also a major symbol of unity and identity across Ijebuland. The prolonged vacancy has therefore continued to attract attention from traditional leaders, community groups, religious figures and other stakeholders.

The next significant date in the legal battle is now September 23, when the matter is expected to come up again. Until then, the selection of the next Awujale remains unresolved, with both the legal process and the traditional succession process still facing major hurdles.