IJEBU ODE — The tussle for the exalted stool of the Awujale of Ijebuland took a turbulent turn on Friday morning as a massive wave of peaceful protests rocked the ancient town of Ijebu Ode. Hundreds of concerned indigenes, youths, and stakeholders took over the major streets, marching from the Awujale Palace Road down to the Ijebu Ode Local Government Secretariat. The atmosphere was charged as protesters chanted solidarity songs and brandished placards, registering their vehement displeasure over an alleged clandestine plot to impose a candidate on the people. The demonstrators allege that powerful interests are working behind the scenes to hijack the selection process, bypassing the traditional due process and sidelining legitimate contenders for the throne. The protesters are demanding transparency, insisting that the choice of the next Awujale must reflect the will of the people and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, rather than the interests of a select few. This unrest comes just days after the Ogun State Government officially slammed the brakes on the selection process. On Tuesday, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat, issued a statement announcing the immediate suspension of all activities related to the selection. According to Hamzat, the government was forced to act following a “flood of petitions” from security agencies and concerned stakeholders warning of potential breakdowns of law and order if the process continued in its current controversial state. With the stool vacant since the transition of the late monarch in 2025, anxiety is mounting in Ijebuland. The suspension of the process and today’s protests signal that the road to crowning a new Awujale may be longer and rockier than anticipated. Stakeholders are now looking to the Ogun State Government to resolve the deadlock and ensure a transparent selection process that prevents further civil unrest in the kingdom. More details to follow as the situation unfolds… Post navigation ‘It is Daddy’ — Court Hands Life Sentence to 50-Year-Old Man for Defiling Wife’s 6-Year-Old Niece Insecurity: PFN Urges Tinubu to Deploy Intelligence for Rescue of Kajuru Abductees
