‘Awujale Stool Is Scared, Succession Must Follow Tradition Not Money’ – Fusengbuwa Royal Family

The Fusengbuwa Royal Ruling House has warned that no form of political interference, financial inducement or intimidation should be allowed to influence the selection of the next Awujale of Ijebuland, insisting that the revered stool must be filled strictly in line with age-long customs and traditions.

The ruling house said any attempt to manipulate the succession process would amount to a violation of Ijebu tradition and an affront to the sanctity of the Awujale stool.

Speaking in an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, the spokesperson of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, Prince Tunde Ogidan, stressed that the Awujale stool remains one of the most sacred traditional institutions in Yorubaland and must not be subjected to undue influence.

“The Awujale stool remains a sacred traditional institution whose selection process must be guided strictly by customs and traditions handed down over generations.

“No amount of inducement or pressure should influence the emergence of the next Awujale of Ijebuland,” Ogidan said.

Ogidan attributed the growing tension, protests and public agitation surrounding the succession process to widespread misinformation and poor understanding of how the selection exercise is conducted.

He explained that the royal family initially chose to remain silent to observe developments and avoid inflaming passions.

“There is a lot of misinformation and lack of information. For those protesting, it is more of a lack of information.

“The royal family deliberately kept quiet to observe how things would unfold,” he said.

Why There Are Nearly 100 Aspirants

Addressing concerns over the unusually high number of aspirants, estimated at between 95 and 100, Ogidan explained that the long interval since the Fusengbuwa ruling house last produced an Awujale had naturally expanded the pool of eligible candidates.

According to him, the passage of time had resulted in multiple generations emerging from the ruling house.

“One hundred years is a long time. Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have expanded the family.

“That is why we have many eligible candidates today,” he said.

Clarifying the screening process, Ogidan stated that the exercise was conducted strictly by the Fusengbuwa ruling house in line with the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, and not by the kingmakers.

He said all documents submitted by aspirants were carefully handled under strict security supervision.

“All documents submitted by candidates were screened by the family. They were bagged in the presence of the DSS and the police, padlocked and taken directly to the palace, where they were handed over to the kingmakers, the Afobajes,” he stated.

Dismissing claims of internal division, Ogidan said initial disagreements within the ruling house had been resolved and that the family now speaks with one voice.

“We had three factions initially, but we came together. There is no faction anymore. We are one family,” he said.

Ogidan explained that statutory timelines stipulated in the 2022 Ogun State Chieftaincy Law made it impossible to restart the screening process after the family reunited.

He noted that the ruling house was given only 14 days upon receipt of the official letter from the local government.

“Once we received the letter from the local government, we had 14 days.

“It was not possible to restart screening for nearly 100 people, so we harmonised all existing submissions,” he said.

₦10m Allegation: ‘All Payments Refunded’

Reacting to allegations that aspirants were required to pay ₦10 million, Ogidan acknowledged that contributions were initially discussed to cover logistics but said the idea was later abandoned.

He insisted that payment was never a condition for participation and that all monies paid were fully refunded.

“Every person who paid was refunded. It was not a condition for participation, and the refunds can be confirmed,” he stated.

While reiterating the family’s firm opposition to corruption and inducement, Ogidan distinguished between bribery and culturally acceptable gestures within Ijebu tradition.

“We frown at bribery and inducement. But in our culture, it is not unusual for someone to visit an elder with a gift.

“What we reject is anything meant to influence the process,” he said.

Ogidan also criticised the suspension of activities at the palace, describing it as an abomination in Ijebu land.

According to him, shutting the palace gates deprives the people of access and violates long-standing tradition.

“Locking the palace gate is an abomination. The palace is like a marketplace, shutting it deprives the people of access and violates tradition,” he said.

Responding to allegations by a nominee that his name was omitted from the list of candidates, Ogidan said eligibility would ultimately be determined by documentation.

He added that spelling errors or name variations could be corrected during interviews.

Ogidan stressed that no individual or group could impose a candidate, noting that the process involves multiple stages.

“No candidate can be selected and imposed. The process involves interviews, traditional requirements and legal confirmation by the government,” he said.

The spokesman, therefore, urged the Ogun State Government to allow the kingmakers to carry out their statutory duties without interference.

He expressed confidence that strict adherence to due process, tradition and the law would guarantee a peaceful and legitimate transition in Ijebuland.