SAN Urges Due Process in Selection of Next Awujale of Ijebuland

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prince Bambo Adesanya, has urged strict adherence to due process in the succession to the throne of the Awujale of Ijebuland in Ogun State.

In a statement on Sunday, Adesanya condemned the premature contest for the revered stool, warning that such actions were inappropriate and could plunge Ijebuland into avoidable conflict.

The late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who reigned for over six decades, passed away on July 13, 2025, at the age of 91.

According to tradition, the Fusengbuwa ruling house of Ijebu Ode is next in line to produce a successor. On Saturday, members of the family held a prayer session at Ile Nla Agunsebi, their ancestral home, seeking spiritual guidance for the selection process. The gathering drew more than 200 princes and princesses, including some who had previously distanced themselves from the family. The prayer was presided over by the head of the ruling house, High Chief Ola Adedokun Ajidagba.

While acknowledging the importance of the process, Adesanya criticised what he described as a “hasty scramble” for the throne, stressing that only due process could preserve peace and unity in Ijebuland.