The Fusengbuwa ruling house crisis deepens as three royal families sue Otunba Owoyemi over leadership claims. Ogun High Court to decide succession dispute.
The Fusengbuwa ruling house crisis has intensified, as three royal families—Adeberu, Olufadi, and Ayora/Tunwase—dragged the Ogun State Government and prominent individuals, including Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi and Dr Kunle Hassan, before the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu Ode over a contentious leadership tussle.
The families are contesting Owoyemi’s claim as Olori Ebi (head) of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, which is next in line to produce the Awujale of Ijebu land, following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona in July 2025 after a 65-year reign.
In court documents dated 17 September 2025, representatives Adedokun Ajidagba, Adeleke Adeyemi, and Ademola Sonaya argued that Owoyemi has no ancestral ties to Ile-Nla, Agunsebi—the traditional home of the Fusengbuwa family—and therefore lacks the standing to claim the headship.
Ajidagba asserted that his own appointment as Olori Ebi was officially ratified on 23 November 2023, with due notification sent to the Ogun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as the late monarch.
He is asking the court to bar Owoyemi from parading himself as the ruling house’s leader.
However, Owoyemi, a former National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), insists that his leadership was upheld by the Ibadan Court of Appeal in November 2024, following a years-long dispute.
He explained that he was first appointed Deputy Olori Ebi in 2011 and became head of the family in 2013 after the passing of Prince Fasasi Adeyemi.
Although a 2018 judgment by the Ijebu Ode High Court did not explicitly name him as Olori Ebi, he appealed the ruling and won on all seven counts.
The appellate court dismissed allegations of fraud and affirmed his legitimate appointment, a decision that Owoyemi says the late Oba Adetona himself recognised during a reconciliation meeting in early 2025.
He further revealed that internal factions—previously led by Dr Kunle Hassan and others—have since accepted the appellate court’s verdict, formally acknowledging his position on 31 August 2025.
In his remarks, Owoyemi maintained his roots are firmly planted in Ijebu land, specifically Idowa Ijebu, and urged all family members to prioritise unity and peace ahead of the selection of the next Awujale.
“I remain a bona fide son of Ijebu land. Let us bury our differences and work towards a transparent and peaceful succession process,” he said.
While the court has yet to fix a hearing date, the case underscores the deepening Fusengbuwa ruling house crisis and its implications for the Awujale succession—a matter of significant historical and cultural importance in Ogun State.
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