Ogun raises alarm over N10m Awujale nomination fees

The Ogun State Government has raised concerns over alleged leadership divisions and the collection of nomination fees within the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, as the process to select the next Awujale of Ijebuland continues.

The government said the ruling house had been operating with three different family heads, while prospective candidates were reportedly asked to pay as much as N10m to obtain nomination forms.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, explaining the government's intervention in the succession process following the death of the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

Ogungbade said the government had consistently recognised the Fusengbuwa Ruling House's right to produce the next monarch but became concerned that its internal leadership crisis could undermine the process.

He recalled that at a meeting with family representatives on November 6, 2025, the government urged them to resolve their differences, recognise one family head and stop collecting nomination fees from aspirants.

According to him, the intervention resulted in an agreement by the family to operate as a united ruling house, abolish candidature fees and refund money already collected from prospective candidates.

The attorney-general said the family subsequently appreciated the government for its intervention.

He maintained that the action was not intended to deprive the Fusengbuwa family of its right to produce the next monarch but to ensure that the selection was conducted transparently and in line with the law.

Ogungbade said the government was guided by the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State, 2021.

He added that although traditional institutions had important roles in selecting a new monarch, the state government also had statutory responsibilities in the appointment and installation of traditional rulers.

These responsibilities, he said, included the authority to reject a nominated candidate where considerations of good governance justified such a decision.

The government also dismissed media reports accusing it of interfering in the succession process or favouring particular interests, describing them as misleading.

Ogungbade alleged that some publications were sponsored to generate hostility against the government and put pressure on its handling of the process.

He warned individuals and publishers against circulating reports intended to influence or obstruct the succession process, threatening legal action if such activities continued.

Citing Section 61 of the Criminal Law of Ogun State, he said unlawful acts intended to interfere with the governor's discharge of official duties could attract a three-year prison sentence.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the emergence of the next Awujale complied with the law, respected the traditional institutions of Ijebuland and upheld fairness and due process.