…as IPEF accuses state govt of plot to impose new monarch
The Ijebu Progressive Elders Forum (IPEF) has strongly accused Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun of attempting to politically hijack the vacant Awujale of Ijebuland stool by imposing his ally, Omooba Folu Aderibigbe, and deploying the Department of State Services (DSS) to intimidate traditional kingmakers.
The highly revered first-class monarchical stool became vacant following the transition of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona on July 13, 2025. More than 15 months after the monarch’s passing, the elders forum alleges that the selection process has been intentionally stalled and polluted with politics by the state government to achieve a predetermined outcome.
Allegations of Rule Violations and Fractured Leadership
In a position paper signed by IPEF National President, High Chief Adebanjo Adeboluro, the group detailed a multi-stage plot allegedly orchestrated from the state capital, Abeokuta. The forum claims the government is actively engineering a crisis within the Fusengbuwa Ruling House to circumvent traditional selection guidelines.
According to the IPEF, the 1959 Chieftaincy Declaration explicitly permits any qualified descendant from the 12 lineages of the Fusengbuwa family to contest for the throne. However, the elders allege that the state government is trying to restrict succession to a single nuclear family. To facilitate this, the state is accused of foisting Otunba Olukayode Otufale as a disputed Olori-Ebi (family head) to officially sign administrative papers and sell government-approved expression of interest forms.
The forum directed sharp criticism toward the state’s suspected candidate, Omooba Folu Aderibigbe, questioning his community record and history of service. The IPEF described Aderibigbe as a political associate with no visible cultural footprint in Ijebuland. The group maintained that the sacred throne, which represents over five million Ijebu people, should never be used as a political reward or an instrument of state control.
Security Agencies Deployed into Traditional Affairs
The dispute escalated significantly following the direct involvement of state security apparatus. The IPEF revealed that on October 29, 2026, the DSS issued an official invitation to the authentic family Oloriebis. The letter, reportedly signed by Yemi Oloto on behalf of the State Director of Security, called for an investigation into the family’s internal sale of expression of interest forms to interested princes and princesses.
The IPEF strongly defended the sale of forms, clarifying that it is a routine internal administrative process protected under historic chieftaincy files dating back to 1943. The elders questioned the sudden deployment of the DSS, arguing that a peaceful traditional process is being treated like a state security threat. They alleged that the true motive behind the intimidation is to freeze the existing selection process—which has already delivered a list of candidates to the Afobajes (kingmakers)—because the governor’s preferred candidate failed to secure the necessary traditional backing.
Ultimate Demands and Political Warnings
To resolve the prolonged leadership impasse, the IPEF outlined four direct demands for the Ogun State Government:
- End the 15-month delay by removing artificial bureaucratic bottlenecks.
- Halt all political impositions and allow Omooba Folu Aderibigbe to contest transparently alongside other princes without state protection.
- Cease state interference in the internal leadership disputes of the Fusengbuwa ruling family.
- Preserve the integrity of the Awujale institution, warning against subordinating the throne to future legislative or political ambitions.
The forum concluded with a stern warning, stating that the patience of the Ijebu people must not be misinterpreted as structural weakness. High Chief Adeboluro emphasised that the community retains its lawful democratic right to respond to institutional disrespect at the ballot box, urging Governor Abiodun to withdraw state interference and let the Olori-Ebis independently execute their traditional duties.
