Ijebu forum accuses governor of interfering in Awujale succession
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Trust
The Ijebu Progressive Elders Forum accused Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun of interfering in the succession of the Awujale king and asked him to withdraw from the process. The group called for the Afobajes to choose the next monarch according to customary rules, while the succession remains disputed after the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona in July 2025, Daily Trust reports.
The Ijebu Progressive Elders Forum (IPEF) accused Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun of interfering in the selection of the next Awujale, the traditional ruler of the Ijebu. In a statement signed by its national president, Chief Adebanjo Adeboluro, the forum called on the governor to withdraw from the process and allow the Afobajes, the traditional chiefs responsible for the selection, to apply the succession rules.
The IPEF said the succession, which began after the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona on 13 July 2025, had been marked by delays, political intervention and divisions within the Fusengbuwa royal house. The forum specifically disputed the recognition of Otunba Olukayode Otufale as family head and condemned the summoning of several traditional leaders by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the sale of application forms to princes and princesses.
The controversy comes two days after Dapo Abiodun announced that a new Awujale would be selected in Ogun before May 2027. The selection of a new Awujale was presented by the governor on 28 October as the objective of the succession process.
