There was tight security on Monday at Bisirodipe Hall, GRA, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, as the Fusengbuwa Ruling House commenced its nomination process for the next Awujale of Ijebuland.

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were deployed within and around the venue ahead of the exercise, which was scheduled to begin at noon.

The hall was filled with members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, led by its head, Otunba Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi, as well as delegates, observers, and residents who gathered to monitor the proceedings. Security operatives struggled at some point to control individuals who lacked accreditation or could not justify their presence at the venue.

A group believed to be supporters of Fuji musician and Olori Omooba of Ijebuland, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1), also arrived at the venue but was denied entry for failing to present the required clearance.

Ayinde has recently raised objections to what he described as attempts by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to exclude him from the Awujale selection process. In a petition addressed to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, the musician—who is said to belong to the Fidipote Ruling House—alleged that the process being adopted contravenes the Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State.

The allegations were contained in a letter dated January 8, 2026, written by his lawyer, Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN. The petition followed an earlier suit filed by Ayinde at the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu-Ode, seeking to stop the nomination process. The court declined to grant an interim injunction, after which the case was withdrawn without explanation.

The nomination exercise resumed after an earlier suspension, following a directive from the Ijebu-Ode Local Government in a letter dated January 6, 2026, instructing the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to conclude the process within 14 days.

Ayinde said he was surprised when the family’s Public Relations Officer, Prince Adeleye Lateef Ademuyiwa, issued a notice directing aspirants to obtain nomination forms and appear before a screening committee, with the exercise fixed for Monday, January 12, 2026.

According to him, several princes have already indicated interest in succeeding the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who died on July 13, 2025, at the age of 91, after a historic 65-year reign.

In the letter by his counsel, Ayinde stated that the directives contained in the family’s January 6, 2026 correspondence were contrary to existing laws and guidelines governing the selection of an Awujale.

The letter read in part that it was “a matter of deep concern” that the leadership of the ruling house appeared to be taking steps capable of disenfranchising eligible members from participating in the nomination process.

It further emphasized that all qualified members of the ruling house have the right to attend nomination meetings and freely nominate candidates of their choice, warning that no group within the family has the authority to usurp those rights.

The letter called for urgent intervention to ensure compliance with due process, safeguard the integrity of the selection exercise, and protect the rights of all parties involved.