As the contest for the next Awujale hots up, the family of the Fusenguwa Ruling house, which is expected to produce the next traditional ruler for the town has disclosed that aspirants with no direct blood line to the family will not be allowed to contest.
The family however disclosed that women can be considered, in case there are no male contestants from the bloodline who are willing to ascend the throne following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona who joined his forebears few months ago.
According to Prince Adeleke Adeyemi, the General Secretary of the Fusenguwa Ruling House,, the Awujale throne is heredity and exclusively reserved for the princes from the ruling houses in Ijebu-Ode and not for everybody.
He explained that the extant Chiefs Law of 1959 makes it clear that those who do not belong to the family are not allowed to contest for the throne, adding that “female-line descendants may be considered” as contestants in case no male-line are available.
He stressed that the ruling house will make the contest open to all eligible contestant saying the Fusengbuwa family is “large and extensive” adding that the eight families in the Family has been rotating the stool among them for years without rancour, noting that the issue of the next Awujale is more than a contest, but about the promotion of “Ijebu heritage”.
Adeleke : “The Awujale stool is a hereditary throne and will usually revolve or rotate among persons from the same or common ancestor, in this case, Awujale Fusengbuwa.
“Those who do not belong to the family are totally excluded. Outsiders with no direct blood ties to Fusengbuwa are not eligible to contest for the stool.
“The Chiefs Law of 1959 further states that candidates for the Awujale vacancy must (a) be members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, and (b) come from the male line of descent. If no qualified male descendant is available, female-line descendants may be considered. This provision protects the throne’s integrity and ensures its continuity through legitimate bloodlines.
“This rotation of the stool between distinct male lines of the same ruling house is not new. Anikilaya Ruling House produced two Awujales from two different male lines: Awujale Adeleke Ogbagba (1896–1906), and Awujale Ademolu Fesogbade (1916–1925). Also, the Fidipote Ruling House followed the same pattern: Awujale Adeona (1906–1915), and Awujale Ogunnaike (1929–1933). This precedent strongly supports the claims of the male line descendants of Awujale Fusengbuwa.
“It’s common knowledge that the Fusengbuwa Ruling House has eight distinct units. Among them, these two male lines have the primary right to present candidates: Olufadi line – from Olufadekemi, Fusengbuwa’s first Abidagba (meaning child born to a reigning monarch), and Tunwase line – from Fusengbuwa’s younger son, Ali Adesimbo. The other units may only present candidates if there are no qualified candidates from the Olufadi or Tunwase’s lines.
“The royal family is large and extensive and we are all one and continue to welcome all distant relations of the ruling house.
“Traditionally, the first male Abidagba, Olufadi, held seniority within the ruling house. However, when the stool became vacant in 1886, Olufadi had passed away, leaving Tunwase as the only qualified candidate. Tunwase became the 45th Awujale (1886–1895). The Tunwase line also later produced Awujale Oba Theophilus Adenuga Tunwase, the 50th Awujale, in 1925. His reign ended in controversy when he was deposed and exiled to Ilorin in 1929.
“Simultaneously following Tunwase’s outcast, Oduwole Obanlefa Olufadi, a direct descendant of Olufadi, was put forward by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House as rightful successor. On February 15, 1929, he petitioned the colonial administrator, Resident P. A. Talbot, asserting the Olufadi family’s rightful claim to the throne. Though the appeal held undeniable merit, colonial authorities were persuaded by the Fidipote Ruling House’s counter-arguments which asserted the Fusengbuwa house had already taken its turn.
“As a result, Oduwole Obanlefa Olufadi’s legitimate claim was rejected, again depriving the Olufadi male line of their hereditary status. While his petition was rejected, it preserved the family’s claim for future generations. Despite being denied their rightful turn for over a century, many direct descendants of Awujale Fusengbuwa have remained deeply committed to public service and the preservation of Ijebu traditions. For example, Prince Fasasi Adebisi Obanlefa Adeyemi, a fourth-generation descendant of Olufadi male line, served as Olori-Ebi (head) of the ruling house for 25 years (1988–2013).”
The magazine reported that the last Awujale, Oba Adetona died on July 13, 2025 at the ripe age of 91 years.
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