The leadership crisis within the Fusengbuwa Ruling House has taken a new turn, with four of its leaders suing 12 family members over their alleged removal from office and disputed claims surrounding the selection of the next Awujale of Ijebuland.
The claimants, led by the Chairman of the ruling house, Abdulateef Owoyemi, are also seeking N1bn in damages over allegations of financial inducement and manipulation levelled against them in the ongoing succession process.
The suit was filed before the Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode.
Other claimants are the Deputy Chairman, Dokun Ajidagba; Vice Chairman, Prof Fassy Yusuf; and Secretary, Pastor Jeremiah Salami.
The 12 defendants include Pa Olusegun Olusoga, popularly known as “AK Black”, Ridwan Oduneye, Muyiwa Adeleye, Alhaji Taiwo Ajumo, Sikiru Adegunwa Oluwole, Kehinde Lawal, Lukman Logunleko Oludare, Abdul Onalaja, Ashiru Mufutau, Osiyemi Johnson, Adeleke Adeyemi, also known as “Leke Adeyemi”, and Olukayode Otufale.
In the writ of summons marked HCJ/167/2026 and dated September 16, the claimants asked the court to declare them the legitimate leaders of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and restrain the defendants from presenting themselves as its leaders or representatives.
The claimants said the leadership structure was adopted at a ruling house meeting on November 7, 2025, following a meeting convened by the Ogun State Government at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the previous day.
They said the three separate units of the ruling house were subsequently merged into one, with Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf emerging as chairman, deputy chairman and vice chairman respectively.
The claimants said the leadership, with Salami as secretary, subsequently handled the nomination of candidates for the vacant Awujale stool and forwarded the list of nominees to the kingmakers led by the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, Chief Dr Sunny Kuku.
They alleged that a breakaway faction of the family, including eight of the defendants, later formed a fact-finding committee in June to investigate allegations of financial inducement involving the ruling house leadership.
According to the claimants, the faction held another meeting on August 9, which they said was not authorised or ratified by the ruling house, and used the outcome of the fact-finding committee to announce the removal of Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf.
They further alleged that the faction notified Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, the kingmakers and others of the purported removal in a letter dated August 11.
The claimants also challenged a September 2 letter in which the faction reportedly announced Otufale as the “Single Unified Olori-Ebi” and directed that future correspondence concerning the ruling house be channelled through him.
The claimants described the representation as false and maintained that no properly constituted general meeting had removed them from office or appointed another person in their place.
They told the court that allowing the defendants to continue presenting themselves as leaders of the ruling house could prejudice the succession process for the next Awujale.
Among other reliefs, they asked the court to declare that the purported fact-finding committee, meetings and resolutions relied upon by the defendants had no authority under the native law and custom or the governing resolution of the ruling house to remove or replace them.
They also sought a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and anyone acting through them from presenting themselves or any other person as the Olori-Ebi, chairman, deputy chairman, vice chairman, secretary or principal officer of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
The claimants further sought N1bn in general damages over what they described as injury to their reputation, standing and offices.
The latest suit is coming against the backdrop of another legal battle over the succession process.
Owoyemi, Ajidagba and Yusuf had earlier sued Governor Abiodun, the Awujale kingmakers and others, seeking orders compelling the completion of the process for selecting the next Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.
The suit, marked HCJ/149/2026 and filed on August 21, was recently returned by Justice A.A. Omoniyi to the administrative judge for reassignment.
Omoniyi said he was due to proceed on annual vacation and might not return until January 2027. He consequently adjourned the matter to September 23, 2026.
The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona at the age of 91, after 65 years on the throne.
The Ogun State Government halted the selection process in January 2026, citing petitions from security agencies and stakeholders, after an earlier suspension over procedural concerns in December 2025.
A total of 95 aspirants, comprising 94 princes and one princess, had emerged from the ruling house nomination process held in Ijebu-Ode in December before the government suspended the process.
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