The Grand Council of Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State has rejected the purported removal of its Chairman and Olori-Ebi, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, describing the meeting at which the decision was taken as ”illegal.”
Addressing reporters in Ijebu-Ode yesterday, Owoyemi said the authentic leadership of the ruling house remained intact and accused a group within the family of attempting to undermine its leadership and unity.
The chairman alleged that the group, which he said was led by Adeleke Adeyemi, Muyiwa Adeleye, Ridwan Oduneye and Olusegun Olusoga, among others, had purportedly announced the removal of him and two other senior officials – the Deputy Chairman, Otunba Oladokun Ajidagba, and Vice Chairman, Professor Fassy Adetokunboh Yusuf – at a meeting held on Sunday.
Adeyemi and others had during the said meeting removed the three leaders, saying they acted based on a fact-finding committee’s report on alleged financial inducement, document manipulation and other irregularities in the selection process for the next Awujale of Ijebuland.
However, Owoyemi, speaking in company with Prince Ajidagba, Prof. Fassy Yusuf and some key members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House yesterday, described those behind the meeting as ‘negligible and disgruntled elements’ and maintained that they lacked the authority to convene a meeting or constitute committees on behalf of the ruling house.
He said the current leadership emerged from an intervention by the Ogun State Government aimed at resolving longstanding divisions within the ruling house.
He said the delegation to the state government comprised four representatives from each of the three factions that previously existed in the family. The 12 delegates were subsequently constituted into a Management Committee, while three additional members were later co-opted, bringing the Grand Council’s membership to 15.
Owoyemi said none of the individuals involved in the purported removal belonged to the 15-member Grand Council.
He alleged that the activities of the group were part of a broader attempt to destabilise the family and jeopardise its entitlement in the process of selecting the next Awujale of Ijebuland.
‘We have investigated the activities of these charlatans,’ Owoyemi said, adding that the leadership was convinced their actions could have a ‘devastating effect’ on the family if left unchallenged.
The chairman disclosed that members of the leadership were pursuing legal action over what he described as defamatory statements and other alleged misconduct by those involved.
In resolutions reportedly reached by the Grand Council, the ruling house declared the individuals behind the purported action and members of the alleged fact-finding committee ‘enemies of Fusengbuwa Ruling House.’
The council urged Ogun State Government and the public to disregard resolutions or allegations emanating from the group.
It further passed what Owoyemi described as a ‘resounding vote of confidence’ in the leadership comprising himself, Ajidagba and Yusuf.
The chairman appealed to mainstream and social media organisations to exercise caution when reporting disputes surrounding the ruling house, urging journalists to verify claims before publication.
He said unverified reports could damage the reputation of Fusengbuwa Ruling House and expose publishers to allegations of defamation or cyber-stalking.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of the significance of ruling houses in the traditional succession process in Ijebuland, where Fusengbuwa Ruling House is one of the houses connected to the Awujale stool.
Owoyemi called for restraint and responsible reporting, while insisting that the Grand Council remained the legitimate authority of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Fielding questions from reporters, Prof. Yusuf, who responded on behalf of Fusengbuwa Ruling House, urged the state government to lift the embargo placed on the Awujale selection process.
He hinted that if the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led government failed to do what it ought to do on the matter, the family might be compelled to take every legitimate step to do what was necessary concerning the stalled Awujale selection.