The Fusengbuwa ruling house of Ijebu Ode, next in line to fill the vacant Awujale stool in Ogun State, has begun preparations for the selection of a new monarch.
The ruling house held a prayer session on Saturday at Ile Nla Agunsebi, the family’s ancestral home, to seek spiritual guidance on the process.
Over 200 princes and princesses who were said to have earlier distanced themselves from the family attended the prayer presided over by the head of the ruling house, High Chief Ola Adedokun Ajidagba.
Speaking at the event, Ajidagba said the gathering was to honour the family’s departed ancestors and seek spiritual guidance in the process of choosing a successor to the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.
Adetona died on July 13, 2025, at the age of 91 after a 65-year reign.
He noted that the ceremony also marked a reconciliation within the family, as nearly 300 estranged princes and princesses returned to the fold.
“We are here today to celebrate our ancestors who were once Awujales of Ijebuland. From this Ile Nla Agunsebi Fusengbuwa ruling house, 25 Awujales have emerged.
“Those who were misled to identify elsewhere have come back, bringing kola nuts, bitter kola, and other items as appeasement for reintegration into the family. They are all great-grandchildren of Fusengbuwa,” he said.
Ajidagba also warned against any manipulation in the succession process, insisting that the family would resist such moves within the confines of the law.
“How can someone from Idowa Ijebu or Esugbon in Ijebu Imusin come to be Awujale in Ijebu Ode? It has never happened in the history of Ijebuland,” he added.
Prince Folu Ogidan Aderibigbe, who also spoke at the event, advised that the next Awujale should be between 45 and 60 years old, development-driven, and committed to pursuing the creation of Ijebu State.
