By Peace Udugba
The Awujale Afobaje Council has dismissed claims that the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Rasheed Adesanya, is the head of the kingmakers’ body, insisting that the process for selecting a new Awujale remains suspended and that no authorised meeting has been held since January.
The controversy follows a letter allegedly sent by the Olisa to Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in which he reportedly described himself as the chairman of the kingmakers’ council and forwarded names for consideration in the selection of a new Awujale.
Reacting to the development during Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, on Friday, the Secretary of the Afobaje Council, Chief Ayotunde Ola Odulaja, described the move as unauthorised, misleading and contrary to the established structure guiding the succession process.
According to him, the Ogun State Government suspended the selection process on January 20, 2026, following concerns over procedural issues, and the council has since complied fully with the directive.
“As law-abiding citizens, we have not sat in council since January 20, 2026. We have not held any meeting, and we are not aware of the letter said to have emanated from the palace or from the residence of the Olisa,” Odulaja said.
He maintained that the suspension remains in force and that any correspondence claiming to represent the Afobaje Council was not authorised by the body.
Odulaja also rejected the use of the title “Alaiyeluwa” in reference to the Olisa, insisting that the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode is a chief and not a monarch.
“We do not know anyone by that appellation. The Olisa of Ijebu-Ode is a chief like all of us, and I do not think that letter should be accorded any recognition,” he said.
The council secretary further disputed the Olisa’s claim to be chairman of the kingmakers, saying the position is occupied by the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Dr. Sonny Kuku.
“The governor or any government official would ordinarily write to the chairman of the Afobaje Council, who is the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu-Ode. Olisa is only one of the nine members of the council,” he said.
Odulaja explained that while Chief Adesanya heads the Ilamuren Council, which comprises palace administrative chiefs, that body is distinct from the Afobaje Council charged by law with selecting the Awujale.
He said the current leadership structure of the Afobaje Council was agreed upon when the body was constituted, adding that Chief Adesanya himself nominated Chief Kuku as chairman, a proposal unanimously adopted by members.
Odulaja also clarified that the interim administrative arrangement set up after the death of the late Awujale, Oba Dr. Kayode Sikiru Adetona, is separate from the statutory kingmakers’ council.
He disclosed that reports suggesting Governor Abiodun requested the controversial letter had already been denied by the state government, raising questions over the origin and legitimacy of the correspondence dated April 14.
The Afobaje secretary further maintained that there can only be one recognised monarch in Ijebuland.
“The Awujale is the paramount ruler of Ijebuland. The Olisa is not an Oba. Two kings cannot reign in one kingdom,” he said.
He alleged that disagreements between the late Awujale and the Olisa had persisted over similar issues in the past and suggested that recent developments reflected renewed attempts to assert influence following the death of Oba Adetona.
Odulaja, however, stressed that the Afobaje Council remains committed to the law and would await further directives from the Ogun State Government before resuming the process of selecting a new Awujale.
For now, the Awujale stool remains vacant, with the succession exercise still officially on hold.
