An Awujale stool aspirant, Alhaji Wasiu Adesanya (KWAM 1), has petitioned the Ogun State Government over his alleged wrongful exclusion from the nomination process.
In a petition through his counsel, Dr. Wahab Shittu (SAN), he alleged that he and other eligible members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House were barred from consideration for the Awujale of Ijebuland.
In a petition dated January 12 and addressed to the Ogun State Executive Council, Shittu accused the leadership of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of conducting a flawed and exclusionary nomination exercise in violation of statutory provisions, customary law and constitutional guarantees of fair hearing.
Adesanya, according to the petition, is an acknowledged and eligible member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and an aspirant to the revered Awujale stool, which became vacant following the death of Oba Dr. Sikiru Kayode Adetona.
The SAN alleged that during the nomination meeting held on January 12, his client and other legitimate members of the ruling house were deliberately barred from gaining access to the venue by heavily armed security personnel.
The petition stated that entry into the meeting was restricted through the issuance of special entry cards to selected “delegates,” a system that was allegedly unilaterally introduced by a faction within the ruling house and never agreed to by Adesanya and other excluded members.
According to Shittu, the imposition of a delegate system effectively disenfranchised eligible members who were entitled under customary law and Ogun State chieftaincy regulations to participate directly in the statutory nomination meeting.
“The deliberate obstruction prevented our client and others from exercising their fundamental right to participate in the nomination process for the Awujale stool,” the petition said, adding that evidence of the alleged exclusion was contained in audiovisual materials attached to the petition.
The SAN recalled that the Secretary of Ijebu-Ode Local Government had earlier issued a letter dated January 6, 2026, inviting members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to a statutory meeting to nominate candidates for the Awujale stool, in line with the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State and the customary laws of Ijebuland.
However, he argued that the manner in which the meeting was conducted on January 12 rendered the entire exercise unlawful and void.
Shittu contended that the exclusion of eligible members amounted to a breach of Section 16(1)(f) of the Obas, Chiefs, Council of Obas and Traditional Council Law of Ogun State, 2021, which requires that candidates be nominated at a properly constituted meeting of the ruling house.
He also cited a violation of the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Declaration, which mandates an inclusive and transparent nomination process, as well as a breach of the constitutional right to fair hearing guaranteed under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The petition further argued that decisions taken at meetings where interested parties are deliberately excluded are null and void, relying on established judicial authorities, including Kotoye v. Central Bank of Nigeria and Longe v. FBN Plc.
Describing the actions of the ruling house leadership as repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience, the SAN warned that any nomination arising from the disputed meeting would inevitably lead to protracted litigation and communal unrest.
He therefore urged the Ogun State Executive Council to declare the January 12 nomination exercise null and void and to direct a fresh, transparent and inclusive nomination process in which all eligible members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House would be allowed to participate without discrimination.
The petition also sought assurances that there would be strict compliance with the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State, the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration and principles of natural justice in subsequent stages of the selection process.
Shittu listed 14 members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House who were allegedly prevented from entering the venue of the nomination meeting, including princes and princesses of the family.
They include Adetayo Oduneye, Adeyemo Oduneye, M. O. Alatishe, Adetoun Oduneye, Adebambo Oduneye, Ashiru Orisanmi, Adesanya Adekunle, Adesanya Adetayo, Tunde Banjo, Orekoya Adekitan, Bolanle Ashiru, Olalekan Olubanjo, Temitope Ashiru, Saidat Ashiru and Adebola Adesanya.
The SAN warned that failure by the state government to urgently address the grievances would compel his client to seek redress in court and before other appropriate authorities.
Copies of the petition were forwarded to the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, the Ogun State Attorney-General, the kingmakers, the Secretary of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
