A fresh controversy has erupted over the administration of Ijebuland following the decision of the Ogun State Government to reconstitute the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC), barely 24 hours after traditional chiefs in Ijebu-Ode announced its dissolution and replacement with the Adele Oba Awujale in Council.
The development has exposed a growing disagreement between the state government and traditional authorities over the appropriate legal and customary structure for administering Ijebuland pending the appointment and coronation of a new Awujale, following the demise of the 91-year-old Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in July 2025.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat, the government insisted that the AIAC remains the only legally recognised administrative body authorised to oversee the affairs of Ijebuland during the interregnum. He said the withdrawal of some members did not invalidate the council or confer authority on any other body.
The government clarified that the AIAC, established in August 2025, is the only body empowered under law to manage the administrative and traditional affairs of Ijebuland until a new Awujale is crowned. It added that Chief Chris Okunowo and Alhaji Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, had publicly dissociated themselves from the reported mass withdrawal.
Dismissing the emergence of the Adele Oba Awujale in Council, the government maintained that the body has no legal or customary recognition under the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration or the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law 2021. It faulted the reliance on the Chiefs Law of 1957, describing it as obsolete and inapplicable to Ogun State since its creation in 1976.
To support its position, the state government cited a consent judgment of the Ogun State High Court in suit No. HCJ/180/2025, involving the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode against the Executive Council of Ogun State and 16 others. According to the government, the judgment affirmed the legality and authority of the AIAC, with all members as consenting parties, and ruled that where administrative responsibilities conflict with traditional functions, the AIAC takes precedence.
The government, while acknowledging the right of members to withdraw, warned that such withdrawal cannot confer legal authority on another group. It cautioned the public against conducting official transactions with individuals parading themselves as members of an alternative body and urged former members to refrain from actions capable of threatening peace in Ijebuland.
Consequently, the government announced the reconstitution of the AIAC, with Chief Rasheed Adesanya, Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, as Chairman; Chief Chris Okunowo, Bobasuwa, as Secretary; Prof. Jide Ajayi, Jagun Aso; Chief Stephen O. Bakare, Babalaje; and Chief Alade Shote, Otun Balogun, as members.
However, in a counter move on Monday, traditional chiefs including the Ilamuren, Pampa, Odi and other Ijebu-Ode chiefs resolved to dissolve the AIAC and replace it with the Adele Oba Awujale in Council. In a resolution signed by its Chairman, Olo’rgun Dr. Sonny Kuku, they argued that the Ogun State Chiefs Law 2021 does not expressly establish an Awujale Regency Council or prescribe a procedure for appointing a regent.
The chiefs maintained that the Chiefs Law and the 1957 Declaration provide a framework for recognising customary arrangements, including the Adele Oba Awujale in Council. They unanimously adopted a motion that all AIAC members should step down and transition into the new 14-member body, which includes Dr. Sonny Kuku, Chief Rasheed Adesanya, Chief O.B. Okuboyejo and 11 others.
Describing the Adele Oba Awujale in Council as a recognised customary administrative structure, the chiefs said it would ensure continuity and stability in Ijebu-Ode while the process of selecting a new Awujale continues. They insisted their position is firmly rooted in the ancient customs and time-honoured traditions of the Ijebu people and aimed at protecting the integrity of the Awujale stool.
