Professor Bankole Okuwa, Curator of the Adesimbo Tunwase Museum in Ijebu-Ode

As Ijebuland begins the delicate process of selecting a new Awujale following the death of its long-reigning monarch, questions of tradition and deviation from ancient customs have resurfaced.

Recall that the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, died on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 91 years, after spending 65 years on the throne.

The foremost royal father was buried on Monday at his Ijebu Ode, GRA private residence, according to Islamic injunction.

At the burial, Soldiers deployed at the venue prevented traditionalists, the Osugbo, from interfering in the burial process.

Governor Dapo Abiodun, who was present at the burial, said it was the wish of the deceased Awujale to be buried according to Islamic rites.

The state recently passed a bill, titled “Obas, Chiefs, Council of Obas and Traditional Council law of Ogun State, Bill 2021,” aimed at respecting human dignity and promoting modernity in the installation and burial of traditional rulers.

His burial has continued to generate debates, as traditionalists, culture custodians and preservers argued that the deceased monarch ought to have been buried according to the tradition of the Ijebu land.

In an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affiars programme on Eagle FM 102.5 FM, ilese Ijebu, On Friday, July 18, 2025, Professor Bankole Okuwa, Curator of the Adesimbo Tunwase Museum in Ijebu-Ode, provided a rare, critical, and historical insight into the rites surrounding the selection and burial of the Awujale of Ijebuland.

Professor Okuwa expressed concern over how some aspects of the tradition have been neglected or misrepresented, both during the reign of the late monarch and in the current succession process.

He referenced a past interview granted by the late Awujale in which the monarch dismissed the existence of the Osugbo institution and denied participating in ritual rites such as “eating the heart of his predecessor”—a custom long considered a cardinal requirement in the installation of a new Awujale.

“He said the Osugbo didn’t exist. He also said he didn’t eat anybody’s heart. And all those who were there when he became king are now dead. There’s no one left to verify. I think the long time he spent on the throne led to his mistakes,” Okuwa stated.

“I wouldn’t call it betrayal of tradition, because the Awujale himself has been working for burials of Obas in their religious manners. He belongs to an Islamic religion and he believed that the kind of cannibalism that has existed for so long should stop. He sees that as an improvement and has been working on this, and the law has been made, well or maybe the bill was prepared for a long time and the governors have not signed it but this present governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has signed the law, and the law was kind of enforced this time.”

His remarks echo longstanding Ijebu beliefs that no one can truly become king without undergoing certain sacred rites. Historical accounts support this claim. According to Ijebu custom, the chosen candidate must fulfill three critical conditions before being recognised as king: he must symbolically eat the heart of his predecessor (Je Oba), be born during his parent’s reign (Abidagba system), and have lost both parents.

These practices were not symbolic alone but were believed to transfer the spiritual essence and kingly virtues of the former monarch to the new one. During the funeral rites of a deceased Awujale, the heart, tongue, and skull were preserved and used in rituals performed by the Odis and members of the Osugbo society—ritual custodians of Ijebu kingship. The successor would then ingest parts of the preserved organs and drink from the skull of his predecessor. This process was seen as necessary to complete the king’s transformation into a sacred embodiment of the tribe.

Professor Okuwa lamented that these customs were now either ignored or denied altogether.

“Tradition has been disregarded or downplayed. These rites were not mere superstition; they formed the spiritual foundation of the Awujale’s authority,” he insisted.

He also addressed the strict secrecy traditionally surrounding the burial of the Awujale. Historically, the monarch’s death was not announced publicly for as long as three years. During that period, a well-dressed Odi would impersonate the monarch in public, and the market would be quietly relocated as a coded signal to the people. Today, however, this period has been shortened to three months—yet even this modern version of secrecy seems to be increasingly disregarded.

65 YEARS REIGN

Oba Adetona, who before his death, ascended the throne in 1960, was one of Nigeria’s longest-reigning traditional rulers and widely reverred for his contributions to the sociopolitical development of Ijebuland and Ogun State at large.

Reflecting on the late monarch’s long reign, he added “He became king at 26. At that age, he didn’t know much. He had to be tutored on his rights, duties, and privileges by those who understood them better. Unfortunately, most of those elders are no longer alive, and there’s no one left to verify those rites or guide him. I think staying too long on the throne made him believe he had absolute authority.”

History records that the Odis were expected to perform secret rites and report first to the Olisa, the head of the Ilamuren and the Awujale’s deputy. But now, even the traditional regency structure has been altered.

SUCCESSION BECKONS

Traditionally, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, also known as the Ogu’ja Olu-Isa, serves as the regent during an interregnum. He is also the leader of the kingmakers (Ilamuren), responsible for selecting the next Awujale. However, the current transition saw the regency handed to Otunba Sanni Kuku, the Ogbeni Ooja, a development that Professor Okowa found irregular.

“I don’t know who appointed the Ogbeni Ooja to be the regent instead of the Olisa,” he said. “During the last suspension of an Awujale, the Olisa served as regent. The Ogbeni Ooja is appointed by the Odis; the Olisa, however, holds a traditional hereditary role.”

Despite his reservations, Okowa described Otunba Kuku as a gentleman and expressed hope that he and the Olisa—who are reportedly friends—would resolve the situation peacefully.

He also corrected a common misconception about the geographical scope of the title, explaining that the Awujale is not just the king of Ijebu-Ode, but of all Ijebuland. The Olisa remains the traditional ruler of Ijebu-Ode and, for centuries, was regarded as its Oba. In fact, one notable historical Awujale—the 38th—was a woman who had previously served as Olisa before ascending the throne.

In discussing the selection process, Professor Okuwa affirmed that the Fusengbuwa family is next in line and that thirteen kingmakers are traditionally responsible for electing the new monarch. However, he admitted uncertainty about who currently compiled the list or approved the appointment of the regent.

He further recalled that during earlier succession disputes, the government of Chief Obafemi Awolowo intervened by passing a law that streamlined the number of ruling houses to four, to prevent future crises—a law he confirmed is still in force today.

“That regulation was a wise intervention. It restricted eligibility to four houses: Gbelegbuwa, Anikilaya, Fusengbuwa, and Fidipote. But beyond legal structure, the rituals and traditions are the soul of our kingship,” Okowa emphasised.

MEANWHILE, The Fusengbuwa ruling house, which is next to produce the monarch, has said the next Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland must be ready to uphold the highly revered traditions of Ijebu.

The head of the ruling house, Adedokun Ajidagba, disclosed this, On Thursday 17, 2025, during the beating of Gbedu drums, a significant cultural tradition that marks the intention of the next eligible ruling house to present a candidate for the Awujale stool.

Ajidagba warned that whoever would succeed the late Oba Adetona must be ready to uphold the highly revered tradition of Ijebu land. The family head said the ruling house would allow laid down rules to be followed, adding that the family would vehemently resist the imposition of money bags.

A SACRED STOOL

As Ijebuland prepares for a new era, Professor Okuwa’s revelations and historical clarifications underscore the tensions between custom and modernity, memory and revision, and power and spiritual legitimacy.

“This is a sensitive period in Ijebuland. We must tread carefully. The throne, the tradition, and the people must be respected. Change is possible, but it must be done in a way that preserves our identity and honors our heritage.”

His message is clear, the Awujale throne is not merely a seat of authority, but a sacred inheritance whose rites must be preserved, not just for continuity, but also for the cultural survival of the Ijebu people.