The Fidipote Ruling House of Ijebu Ode has stepped forward to claim the vacant Awujale throne, insisting that existing chieftaincy laws now give it the right to present candidates.
The ruling house argues that the opportunity shifted to Fidipote after the Fusengbuwa Ruling House failed to act within the time allowed by law.
Letter Sent to Ogun Government
To assert its position, the Fidipote family wrote formally to the Ijebu Ode Local Government Area and the Ogun State Government.
Oba Tajudeen Omotayo, the head of the ruling house, and Omooba Tunde Aderibigbe, its secretary, jointly signed the letter.
In the correspondence, the family relied on the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021, as well as the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration of 1959.
Fusengbuwa Missed Legal Deadline
According to the Fidipote family, the local government invited the Fusengbuwa Ruling House on December 2, 2025, to submit candidates for the vacant stool.
However, Fusengbuwa failed to submit any nominee within the 14-day period required by law.
The family stated that the deadline expired on December 16, 2025, without any submission from the entitled ruling house.
Law Transfers Right to Fidipote
As a result, the Fidipote family invoked Section 16(1)(c) of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021.
The law provides that when the first ruling house defaults, the next house in the rotational order assumes the right to present candidates.
Under the 1959 Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration, Fidipote follows Fusengbuwa in the line of succession.
Family Fixes Selection Meeting
Following this development, the Fidipote Ruling House scheduled a general meeting for Saturday, December 20, 2025.
The meeting will hold at Fidipote Royal Hall on Fusigboye Street, Idewon Quarters, Ijebu Ode.
At the meeting, aspiring candidates will formally declare interest.
Eligible family members will then screen and vote to select candidates for submission to the kingmakers.
Assurance of Peaceful Process
The ruling house assured authorities that it would conduct the process peacefully and transparently.
It pledged full compliance with customary law and the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration.
The family also copied Governor Dapo Abiodun and other relevant officials in the correspondence.
The Fidipote Ruling House has historical ties to Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1.
