IJEBU ODE – The race to the throne of the Awujale of Ijebuland has entered its final stretch, with a successor expected to be named within the next two weeks.
This update was provided by Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, the Olori Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and the Otunba Jadiara, following the successful conclusion of the house’s nomination exercise at the Bisi Rodipe Hall in Ijebu Ode.
The nomination meeting, which was monitored by representatives of the Ijebu Ode Local Government led by Secretary Abiodun Oke-Adebanjo, saw a significant narrowing of the field:
- 95 candidates originally signaled their interest in the throne.
- 85 candidates successfully completed the formal nomination process.
- Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM1), the popular Fuji musician, was notably absent from the final list of 85 nominees.
To ensure a smooth transition and prevent the legal battles that often plague traditional successions, Otunba Owoyemi confirmed that all participants have committed to a “no-contest” agreement.
“Everybody who went through the nomination process had signed a bond that there would be no litigation after the process,” Owoyemi stated.
The list of 85 names is being submitted today to the Afobaje (Kingmakers), who will now take over the spiritual and traditional selection duties.
Otunba Owoyemi expressed satisfaction with the decorum maintained throughout the exercise, noting that the atmosphere remained peaceful and orderly.
“It was a peaceful process. It is now the turn of the Afobaje to do their traditional work of selecting the next Awujale. We thank God that there was no commotion throughout the process. Everything went smoothly; there was no rancour.”
The final decision will rest on a combination of merit and traditional consultation. The Afobaje will eventually select one candidate from the 85 nominees to be forwarded to the Ogun State Government for final approval.
“The one that the oracle will pick is among the 85 that went through the nomination process,” Owoyemi explained. “We hope the kingmakers and Ogun State Government will do well to select one candidate… that aligns with the yearnings of Fusengbuwa Ruling House, their ancestors, and Almighty God as revealed by the Oracle (Ifa).”The Olori Ebi concluded with a prayer for the future of the kingdom, asking that the process yields a leader who will “make Ijebu Ode great.”
