The Grand Council of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, has reaffirmed confidence in its leadership and rejected the purported removal of its Chairman, Abdulateef Owoyemi, Deputy Chairman, Oladokun Ajidagba, and Vice Chairman, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, describing the committee behind the decision as a “kangaroo committee” with no legal authority. The council dismissed allegations of financial inducement and irregularities in the Awujale succession process, insisting that the trio remains the legitimate leadership of the ruling house.

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Addressing journalists on Wednesday, Owoyemi said the current leadership emerged through a reconciliation process facilitated by the Ogun State Government after the ruling house had been divided into three factions. He explained that representatives from the factions constituted a 15-member Grand Council, adding that those who announced the leadership change were neither members of the council nor authorised to convene meetings or constitute committees. The council also threatened legal action against those it accused of defamation and urged Governor Dapo Abiodun to lift the suspension on the selection process for the next Awujale, arguing that the delay had fueled internal disagreements.

However, the rival faction defended the removal of the three leaders, insisting that the decision followed the recommendations of a nine-member fact-finding committee adopted at a general meeting attended by 115 family members. The committee alleged a breakdown in leadership, lack of transparency in the nomination process and procedural irregularities in the compilation of candidates for the Awujale stool. The succession process has remained suspended since January 2026 following petitions and security concerns after the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona in July 2025, leaving the revered traditional throne vacant.