Awujale stool: Court sends Fusengbuwa suit to administrative judge for reassignment

A vacation judge of the Ogun State High Court, Justice A. A. Omoniyi, sitting in Court 3, Ijebu-Ode, on Wednesday ordered that a suit filed by the Fusengbuwa ruling house against Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Awujale kingmakers and other defendants be returned to the administrative judge for reassignment. The suit, which challenges the alleged stoppage of the process for selecting the next Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, was filed on August 21, 2026, and numbered HCJ/149/2026. Justice Omoniyi stated he would be proceeding on his annual vacation within the next one week and might not resume until January 2027. Although aware of the urgency of the matter, he was constrained by the limited time available to him before his vacation. Consequently, he directed that the case file be returned to the administrative judge for reallocation. The matter was adjourned until September 23 for further hearing. Counsel to the Fusengbuwa ruling house, Otunba Olusegun Otayemi, informed the court that all the 15 defendants had been duly served with the originating processes and that the claimants were ready to proceed with the case. However, Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye, SAN, representing the seventh to 15th defendants, including the kingmakers, indicated that they were still within the stipulated period to respond to the suit and would file their processes accordingly. A state counsel, W. A. Onawole, also appeared for Governor Abiodun, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, and four other defendants. The kingmakers were present in court, led by Olorogun (Dr Sunny Kuku), co-founder of EKO Hospital and the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland. Also in court were the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi; his deputy, Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba; and the vice-chairman, Prof. Fassy Yusuf. Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, Otayemi explained that the ruling house instituted the action to challenge what it described as undue government interference in the process of selecting the next Awujale following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona in July 2025. He emphasized that the law does not permit a deliberate stoppage of such a process. While delays due to unforeseen circumstances may be excusable, a deliberate and orchestrated halt is not acceptable. Otayemi noted that the judge’s absence during the next hearing could lead the case to be reassigned to another court, highlighting the urgency of the matter. Owoyemi added that the family was compelled to seek judicial intervention because it could not continue to wait indefinitely for the appointment of a new Awujale from the ruling house. He mentioned that the family had only 14 days under the law to complete the process and did so within 10 days. Upon delivering the necessary documents to the kingmakers, they were given seven days to appoint an Awujale. Instead, a letter arrived requesting the entire process be halted due to所谓的 petitions, which the ruling house had never received. They were not provided with the security report or any copies of the petition until now. Owoyemi also highlighted the efforts made by the Imam, the Muslims of Ijebuland, and the Christians of Ijebuland to gain access to the governor to expedite the matter, but nothing had materialized. He stressed that waiting indefinitely was not an option, hence the decision to approach the court for intervention. The ruling house had joined Governor Abiodun, the state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, and others in the lawsuit, seeking clarity and resolution to the ongoing dispute over the selection of the next Awujale.