Ogun State Government has ordered an immediate suspension of the ongoing process to select a new Awujale of Ijebuland, citing mounting tensions, petitions, and security concerns surrounding the succession exercise.
The directive was communicated in a letter dated January 20, 2026, signed by Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, addressed to the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area.
“The Awujale stool holds immense significance in Yoruba land, particularly in Ogun State. The legacy of the late Oba Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for 65 years, has made this process subject to intense public scrutiny,” Hamzat said.
The commissioner explained that the government had received multiple petitions and security reports from stakeholders, prompting the urgent intervention.
“To protect public order and preserve the dignity of the stool, it is necessary to halt the selection at this time,” he added, emphasising that the decision aligns with the Obas and Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State, 2021.
Hamzat further stated that acting proactively was crucial to preventing potential unrest.
“Given the information before us, government has decided to suspend the process entirely in the interest of peace, order, and good governance,” he noted.
The letter instructed the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government to inform both the Awujale Kingmakers Council and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of the suspension.
“The Fusengbuwa Ruling House should await further instructions regarding the succession process,” the letter said.
The move temporarily pauses the much-anticipated selection, as stakeholders await new guidance from the state authorities.
Security has already been heightened around the Awujale palace, with police, NSCDC, and Amotekun personnel reportedly deployed.
Earlier in January, the Fusengbuwa ruling house conducted a nomination meeting where 94 princes and one princess expressed interest in the exalted throne.
Credentials of the contestants were handed over to the kingmakers on January 19 for the selection to begin, but the government’s intervention has brought the process to a standstill.