As the race for the Awujale of Ijebuland, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, is being intensified, an 82-year-old prince, Otunba Omo Oba Adetayo Abayomi Oduneye Eruobodo, has alleged that some kingmakers were demanding cars, hard currencies, and other expensive gifts from the aspirants vying for the vacant stool of the Awujale.
Otunba Eruobodo recounted how some unqualified aspirants were on the center stage of the selection process, as the kingmakers focused attention on the wealthy ones at the expense of the qualified but less affluent sons of Ijebuland.
He lamented that with this “cash and carry” process, an unqualified candidate may end up filling the sacred stool of the Awujale of Ijebuland.
Otunba Omo Oba Adetayo Abayomi Oduneye Eruobodo disclosed this in a viral video released by his son, Prince Ridiwan Adeyemo Oduneye Eruobodo.
“I am Prince Ridiwan Adeyemo Oduneye Eruobodo, son of Otunba Omo Oba Adetayo Abayomi Oduneye Eruobodo, I came here with the authority of my father in accordance with the law.
“I am here to clarify the rumour making the rounds on behalf of my father, as regards his signing for Wasiu Ayinde.
“This is in response to an issue that emanated from the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Secondly, it’s about the press’ activities concerning the matter.
“My father, in his 80s, has authorised me to clear the air on this matter: He asked me to greet Ijebu sons and daughters the world over, the kingmakers-in-council, the Baloguns of Ijebuland, groups, leaders, the ruling houses, Fusengbuwa Ruling House, and his own ruling house, the Jadiara.
“Similarly, he extends greetings to all Princes and princesses of Adebanjo Tijani Oduneye Eruobodo.
“He asked me to clarify the rumour making the rounds about the selection process to fill the vacant stool of the Awujale of Ijebuland praying that things would go smoothly.
“My father prays that Almighty Allah will select a candidate who will bring peace and growth to Ijebuland.
“With a Yoruba adage that says ‘ki iku too pa Iya-Akoko, Omo t’obi ti to oro so (before Akoko’s mother dies, her offspring is old enough to speak on her behalf). He would like to set the record straight about the application form he signed for Wasiu Ayinde by deliberately doing this to observe the reaction of many.
“He wants the Ijebuland to know that he is a bona fide son of Jadiara Ajibike of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, whose father was Alhaji Omo Oba Tijani Oduneye Oduwole Eruobodo (making citations…), saying this is in response to a letter from the Fusengbuwa Ruling House that he was not an authorised signatory.
“The signing was done to expose some ills in the Fusengbuwa Ruling House because whatever happens today will become history tomorrow.
“Truly, he is not the eldest child of Omo oba Odutayo Eruobodo Oduneye, as he still has two elders before him, and he seizes this opportunity to say that he didn’t sign Wasiu Ayinde’s form on behalf of the family, but this was done to prove a point and send a message across the family.
“To my younger sister, Omo Oba Iyabo Sunbo Oduneye, I want her to know that sometimes, ignorance prevents one from accessing information, though he is not ready to reply to her but believes that she will know the truth at the right time.
“He wants to clarify the rumour that he is not the Family Head and has no right to sign Wasiu Ayinde’s form, he said this is accepted, and that he was not authorised to sign the form because he is not a descendant of Fusengbuwa but he wants to find out the right of Mr Dokun Ajidagba and Otunba Owoyemi to pronounce themselves as the heads of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. "Who authorised the duo and in what way did they become the family heads? What he grew up to know is that in Ijebuland, the eldest in the family should be regarded as the Family Head, and any other member of the family, regardless of their affluence, is subject to the Family Head.
Is the Fusengbuwa Ruling House indirectly saying that Mr Dokun Ajidagba or Otunba Owoyemi is its Family Head and no other person in the family is older than them?
“As soon as the announcement came that the Fusengbuwa Ruling House is the next to produce a candidate to fill the vacant stool, and the duo were opportuned to handle the procedures, it does not automatically make them the Family Heads.
Upon the announcement, the duo ought to have officially written all branch heads to inform them of this viable information, and if this was done, they should feel free to present such letters and acknowledged copies to the whole world.Gift baskets
“He said one of the reasons he signed the form was to seek clarification on the fact that if Dokun Ajidagba, the son of our father, Jogbo who has no ancestral linkage with the Fusengbuwas or Jadiara could suddenly turn himself to the family head of the Fusengbuwas, why is it that the non-linkage of Wasiu Ayinde’s with the family has become an overnight issue. I seek clarification on this.
“As for our father, Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, he is a prince, but it was his mother and not his father that had a direct linkage with our family.
My question is whether it is right for such a person to head the family when there are older persons whose fathers have a direct ancestral lineage with the family? “I hereby direct my question to my sister Ms Iyabo Oduneye, whether her daughters can become the family heads of Oduneye when there are male children on the ground?
I want all those handling the process of the vacant stool of Awujale of Ijebuland to know that they should not collapse the existing foundation that was laid by our forefathers.
“If all I have said about the duo of Mr Dokun Ajidagba and Otunba Lateef Owoyemi is false, both should come forward to debunk this fact.
“Have we forgotten the fact that the late monarch, Oba Sikiru Adetọna, failed to install Otunba Owoyemi as Oba Dagbure because it was his mother and not his father that had a direct linkage with the family.
“Why did Mr Dokun Ajidagba and Otunba Lateef Owoyemi drag the late Awujale and Otunba Subomi Balogun to court for confirming the title of Olori Omo-Oba on a person whose father had no ancestral linkage with the family?
“Why is it that the same person is now controlling the affairs of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House?
The Fusengbuwas should right the wrongs by allowing the right people to become family heads, no matter the circumstances
How come the people who have no direct ancestral linkage with our family are feeding fat on family members by allowing contestants to distribute cars, money, and other good things in the name of vying for the position of the new Awujale, thereby influencing the process of selection of candidates for the vacant stool?
“We all should be blamed if we fold our arms and allow these ills to thrive.
“Kudos to some of the youths in the Fusengbuwas and Jadiaras for their efforts in ensuring that a round peg is put in the round hole. However, the challenges facing us are that our history is not preserved and we all must ensure this.
It is a pity that some people have infiltrated the Fusengbuwa Ruling House thereby compromising the Obaship process.
“I want us to know that the Awujale stool is not something that should be handled with levity because the whole world is watching us and we should not handle the process with shoddy means or willingly give the position to people because of their affluence.
“Be it known that so many unqualified aspirants have quietly filled the Obaship form and passed through screening but the family did not expose this probably because such are not popular like Wasiu Ayinde.
My signing of Wasiu Ayinde’s form will expose the ills in the family particularly those who are distributing cars, money and other gifts to become the next Awujale.Gift baskets
“There are so many unhealthy qualified sons and daughters that can fit in for the position of Awujale of Ijebuland but the family does not consider them because they don’t distribute cars, money and expensive gifts to these self acclaimed family heads.
“My father recalled how an emissary of Wasiu Ayinde contacted him to sign his form though the person did not disclose the aspirant who he arranged a meeting with.
“He attended the meeting with his son who on arriving at the venue alerted the father that they were in Wasiu Ayinde’s house.
“He said at the meeting, Wasiu Ayinde introduced himself as an heir to the throne because anybody can pick the Obaship form and declare his or her intention to contest but it is left for the Nomination committee to screen the aspirants and do proper selection.
“He said he stands on fairness and justice and his signing Wasiu’s application form does not automatically qualify him as the next Awujale since there are other procedures to follow.
“If Wasiu is qualified, he should be approved and if not, he should be disqualified.
I want to expose the unscrupulous ways the nomination committee is going about the Obaship process by collecting hard currencies and cars from aspirants.
People may assume that I collected money from Wasiu Ayinde to sign his form but it is known that this is between me and God.
“I hereby call on Mr Dokun Ajidagba and Otunba Lateef Owoyemi to openly swear to Almighty Allah if they have not been collecting cars and money from intending candidates since they started the Obaship process. Until they do this, the nomination day may face a lot of challenges.
“In conclusion, my father apologises to his family, the Oduneyes, for not informing them before exposing these ills because they may not want him to do so.
“Signing for Wasiu Ayinde does not authenticate him since there is a nomination committee on the ground to handle further processes.
“With the way the nomination committee is collecting expensive gifts from aspirants, an unqualified candidate may emerge as the next Awujale.”Gift baskets
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach Mr Dokun Ajidagba and Otunba Lateef Owoyemi were unsuccessful.Gift baskets
Citizens Compass reported that the Nomination meeting of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House scheduled for Monday, December 15, 2025, has been postponed.
In a telephone conversation with Citizens Compass, some Indigenes if Ijebu-Ode have called on the kingmakers to ensure transparency, justice and fairness in the selection process saying failure to do so would incur the wrath of the ancestors. *Culled from Citizens Compass, an online media platform