By Peter Omopo
The Head of the Fusengbuwa ruling house of Ijebu Ode and former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Alhaji Abdulateef Owoyemi, has assured that the process of selecting the next Awujale of Ijebu land will not be compromised by financial influence.
The assurance comes as the Fusengbuwa family prepares to present candidates to succeed the late Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who died on July 13 at the age of 91 after a historic 65-year reign.
Speaking to journalists at his Idowa Ijebu country home on Saturday, Owoyemi disclosed that some aspirants had already attempted to influence the process with money but were rebuffed.
“So far, eight potential candidates to the Awujale throne have approached us with money, but we have turned it down. The council of elders told them we don’t want anything like that. What matters to us is a transparent and fair selection process,” he said.
Owoyemi recalled that the late Oba Adetona himself had warned against allowing “moneybags” to hijack the succession.
“During the 2019 Ojude Oba festival, when it was rumoured that some had budgeted N1bn to secure the throne, Oba Adetona warned that his succession must not be dictated by money. His guiding principle was that the right candidate must be chosen—someone capable of taking Ijebu to greater heights,” Owoyemi said.
Addressing reports of divisions within the family, the Fusengbuwa head appealed for unity, urging relatives to “sheathe their swords” and work together to present the best candidate.
“We are all from the same mother, so why should there be strife and unnecessary wrangling? We are even ready to make concessions as long as they are not unreasonable, for the sake of peace,” he added.
Owoyemi also dismissed claims by Prince Adedokun Ajidagba to be the legitimate head of the Fusengbuwa ruling house. He pointed to a Court of Appeal judgment delivered in Ibadan on November 28, 2024, which, he said, affirmed his position as Olori Ebi, having first been appointed in 2013.
With the throne of the Awujale—one of the most revered in Yorubaland—now vacant, Owoyemi emphasised that only merit, integrity, and the ability to preserve Oba Adetona’s legacy would guide the family in choosing a worthy successor.
