The Ogun State Government has suspended the ongoing process for the selection of a new Awujale of Ijebuland, citing multiple petitions, adverse security reports, and the need to safeguard public order and the integrity of the revered royal stool.
The decision follows rising controversies surrounding the January 12, 2026 nomination exercise, which has attracted complaints from various stakeholders. Among the petitioners is veteran Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, who earlier this month formally appealed to the Ogun State Executive Council to nullify the nomination process.
KWAM 1’s petition, according to government sources, added to an already growing list of grievances and security advisories submitted to the state by concerned parties and relevant agencies.
Announcing the suspension in a statement on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, said the move was taken proactively in the interest of peace, order, and good governance.
Hamzat explained that the decision was grounded in the provisions of the Obas and Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State, 2021, which empowers the Executive Council to set aside any chieftaincy appointment if it considers such action necessary in the overriding public interest.
He noted that the Awujale stool occupies a unique position in Nigeria’s traditional institution, stressing that the 65-year reign of the immediate past Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, had significantly enhanced the status and modern prestige of the throne.
“Given the stature of the Awujale stool and the legacy of the late monarch, the process of selecting his successor has attracted intense national attention, making it imperative for the state to proceed with utmost caution,” Hamzat said.
The commissioner directed the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area to immediately communicate the suspension to the Awujale Kingmakers Council and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. He further advised the ruling house to halt all actions related to the selection process and await further directives from the state government.
However, the government did not disclose the specific details of the petitions and security reports that informed its intervention, nor did it provide a timeline for when the suspended process might resume.
