The Ogun State Government has debunked a viral letter claiming that five princes had been nominated for consideration as the next Awujale of Ijebuland, insisting that the royal selection process remains officially suspended.
The controversy followed the circulation of a letter allegedly written by the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, recommending five princes to Governor Dapo Abiodun for appointment to the revered throne.
The document, dated April 14 and reportedly acknowledged on June 15, claimed that Ijebu kingmakers had completed the nomination process in line with the Chiefs Law and customary succession procedures governing the Awujale stool.
The letter listed Prince Ademorin Aliu Kuye, Prince Isiaq Ayodele Adewale Adekoya (Eleruja), Prince Onabanjo Abimbola John, Prince Oluwaseun Waheed Omopenu Onanuga and Prince Olabode Onanuga as the nominated candidates from whom the governor could make a final selection.
However, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, described the document as invalid and urged the public to disregard it completely.
Akinmade explained that the state government had not lifted the suspension placed on the Awujale selection process earlier this year. According to him, any legitimate communication arising from the kingmakers must follow an established legal procedure and be transmitted through the appropriate government channels.
“The position of the law is that the letter conveying the decision of the kingmakers should come through the local government to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, not through any individual,” he said.
He stressed that the absence of any official statement from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs confirms that the government’s position has not changed and that the selection process remains on hold.
The alleged author of the letter, Chief Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, also distanced himself from the document. The Olisa of Ijebu-Ode denied knowledge of the letter and suggested that it may have been fabricated by individuals seeking to damage his reputation.
“I don’t know anything about the letter you are talking about. I am not a party to it,” Adesanya said.
Similarly, the Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, stated that he had no knowledge of the purported communication.
The Ogun State Government suspended the process for selecting a new Awujale in January following a wave of petitions, rising tensions among stakeholders and reports of procedural irregularities flagged by security agencies and other interested parties.
The throne became vacant after the death of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who passed away in July last year at the age of 91 after an extraordinary 65-year reign.
