By Sunday Ameh
The Awujale Afobaje Council has criticised the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Rasheed Adesanya, over a letter allegedly sent to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, in which he reportedly claimed to be the head of the kingmakers’ council and forwarded names in connection with the selection of a new Awujale of Ijebuland.
The council described the move as unauthorised and misleading, insisting that the process for selecting a new Awujale remains suspended by the Ogun State Government.
Speaking during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, the Secretary of the Afobaje Council, Chief Ayotunde Ola Odulaja, said the council had not met since January 20, 2026, when it received a directive suspending the selection process.
According to him, the council has strictly complied with the government’s directive and has not reconvened or taken any further action regarding the succession process.
He stated that any letter purportedly emanating from the kingmakers’ council during the suspension period did not have the backing of the Afobaje Council.
Odulaja maintained that the Olisa was not the chairman of the Afobaje Council and therefore lacked the authority to act on behalf of the kingmakers.
He explained that the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Sonny Kuku, remains the recognised chairman of the council, while the Olisa is only one of its nine members.
The Afobaje secretary further alleged that the Olisa’s claim to the chairmanship of the kingmakers’ council was false, stressing that although he heads the Ilamuren Council, that body is distinct from the Afobaje Council responsible for selecting the Awujale.
He also dismissed reports suggesting that the governor requested names from the Olisa, noting that the Ogun State Government had already denied such claims.
Odulaja said the council had not interacted with the Olisa since the suspension took effect and reiterated that no meeting had been held to discuss the succession process.
He further rejected the use of the title “Alaiyeluwa” in reference to the Olisa, insisting that the title is reserved for the Awujale as the paramount ruler of Ijebuland.
According to him, the Olisa remains a traditional chief and not a monarch within the established traditional hierarchy of Ijebuland.
The Afobaje Council maintained that the selection process remains on hold pending further directives from the Ogun State Government and urged the public to disregard any claims suggesting otherwise.
The Awujale stool became vacant following the death of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, and the succession process has remained suspended amid controversies surrounding the selection procedure.
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