The Council of Otunbas in Ijebuland has declared that no law in Ogun State disqualifies holders of the Otunba title from ascending the Awujale of Ijebuland stool.

The council was responding to claims that individuals bearing the Otunba title are ineligible for the revered throne. It maintained that historical precedents show that Otunba titleholders have, at various times, emerged as Awujale of Ijebuland.

In a letter addressed to the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council, the Otunbas dismissed the claim as unfounded. The letter was signed by the council’s chairman, B. Alebiosu; second vice-chairman, Akin Osiyemi; and secretary, Ayodele Osibogun.

Referencing the Chieftaincy Declarations registered in 1957 and approved in 1959, the council stated that succession to the Awujale stool is governed solely by these declarations.

“The Declarations contain no provision, whether express or implied, that disqualifies an otherwise eligible candidate merely because he previously held the title of Otunba,” the council said.

It added that any alleged customary rule not captured in the registered declarations lacks legal backing and cannot be used to exclude qualified candidates.

The council further warned that any selection process that unlawfully excludes eligible aspirants could trigger legal disputes and heighten communal tensions.

Reaffirming the sanctity of the institution, the council stressed that the Awujale stool is a sacred traditional office and not a political position.

Tensions have continued to mount in Ogun State over the succession process following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebuland, who passed away on July 13, 2025, at the age of 91, after a remarkable 65-year reign.

Amid the growing controversy, the Ogun State Government, in a letter dated January 20, 2026, and signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, ordered the suspension of all activities related to the selection process.

The directive cited a surge in petitions, including one by popular Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, alleging unlawful exclusion in the succession process.