Seyi Bakare: Awujale succession: New beginning for Fusengbuwa, duty to Ijebuland

The emergence of Omooba Otukayode Hakeem Otufale as the new Olori Ebi of the Fusengbuwa/Jadiara Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode has opened a fresh chapter in the prolonged search for the next Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland. Coming after months of disagreements over the conduct of the succession exercise, competing claims to leadership of the ruling house and legal disputes, the development should be seen as an opportunity to reset the process and restore confidence in an institution whose decisions have consequences far beyond the walls of the family house.

The Awujale is not an ordinary traditional title. It is one of the most respected traditional institutions in Yorubaland and occupies a special place in the history, culture and identity of the Ijebu people. The succession process, therefore, must be handled with the dignity, restraint and transparency expected of an institution of such significance. The crisis that preceded the emergence of the new Olori Ebi was not created by the vacancy alone. It was compounded by disagreements over the management of the selection process, questions about consultation, the participation of qualified members of the ruling house and the extent to which established procedures were followed.

Members of the ruling house have also raised questions about the handling of funds allegedly collected from aspirants, the absence of what they described as adequate financial accounting, and the submission of names to the kingmakers without satisfactory screening. There have equally been allegations concerning the exclusion of some aspirants from meetings and disagreements over the authority of those managing the process. These are allegations made by members of the ruling house and should be properly established through the appropriate channels. They should not, however, be dismissed as mere family quarrels. The very fact that the earlier exercise became sufficiently contentious to require government intervention and subsequently generated litigation demonstrates the importance of getting the next stage right.

Indeed, the Ogun State Government had earlier directed that the process be restarted after identifying procedural concerns that could lead to disputes. The government subsequently facilitated the resumption of the process. This is where the significance of the latest development lies. The emergence of a new Olori Ebi provides the Fusengbuwa/Jadiara Ruling House with an opportunity to close the chapter of internal disagreements and concentrate on the responsibility before it: producing a credible process capable of commanding the confidence of the ruling house, the kingmakers and the wider Ijebu community. For this reason, the Ogun State Government deserves commendation for maintaining restraint and allowing the ruling house to resolve its internal leadership questions without turning the traditional institution into an arena for political contest.

The government’s role should be that of a fair regulator and guarantor of due process, not a participant in determining who eventually occupies the Awujale stool. Its responsibility is to ensure that the applicable laws and traditional procedures are respected, while allowing the ruling house and the kingmakers to perform their respective responsibilities. That distinction is important. The credibility of the next Awujale must derive from the integrity of the selection process, not from any perception that the government imposed, sponsored or favoured a particular aspirant. Equally important, the traditional institution itself must be protected from political contamination. Once the process becomes perceived as a contest for government influence, the dignity and legitimacy of the eventual outcome could be unnecessarily compromised.

Recent events have shown how easily disagreements within the ruling house can spill into public controversy. Reports have emerged of competing claims to leadership of the Fusengbuwa family, while members of the previous leadership have also instituted legal proceedings against other family members. The emergence of Otufale should therefore mark the beginning of reconciliation, rather than another phase of confrontation. The new Olori Ebi now has a historic responsibility. He must move quickly to establish a process that is transparent, inclusive, fair and faithful to the customs and established procedures governing the selection of the Awujale. Every qualified aspirant should be treated equally. Every eligible member of the ruling house should understand the rules before the exercise begins. Screening should be conducted openly and according to clearly established criteria. Meetings should be properly documented. Where funds are legitimately required, there should be clear rules, accountability and proper documentation.

Most importantly, the process must be designed to produce not merely a candidate acceptable to one section of the ruling house, but a nominee whose emergence can withstand scrutiny and command broad respect across Ijebuland. The new leadership should also make reconciliation a priority. Those who disagreed with the emergence of the new Olori Ebi should not automatically be treated as enemies of the family. Their concerns should be heard and, where justified, addressed. The objective should be to build the broadest possible consensus around the process. The Ijebu people are entitled to expect nothing less.

The vacancy in the Awujale stool has generated considerable public interest because the institution transcends the individual who eventually occupies it. The next Awujale will inherit a legacy built over generations and will be expected to provide continuity, stability and moral leadership to Ijebuland. That makes the process of selecting him almost as important as the eventual installation. The Fusengbuwa/Jadiara Ruling House therefore has an opportunity to turn a difficult episode into a defining demonstration of institutional renewal. It can show that when a process becomes contentious, the appropriate response is not endless recrimination but correction, reconciliation and adherence to established rules. The new Olori Ebi should waste no time in pressing the reset button. He should engage all relevant family units, reconcile divergent positions, publish or communicate the applicable procedures, establish a credible timetable and commence the selection process without unnecessary delay.

Government, for its part, should continue to provide the necessary regulatory framework and ensure that the rules apply equally to all participants, while resisting every temptation to dictate the outcome. That is how the traditional institution can be protected. That is how the confidence of the Ijebu people can be restored. And that is how the search for the next Awujale can finally become a process worthy of the throne itself.

Bakare sent this piece through seyibakre@aol.com

Seyi Bakare: Awujale succession: New beginning for Fusengbuwa, duty to Ijebuland