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The Fusengbuwa Ruling House has explained why the nomination meeting to select candidates for the vacant stool of the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland was postponed.

The ruling house, which is next in line to produce the Awujale following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona in July 2025 at the age of 91, had earlier announced that the nomination meeting would hold on Monday, December 15, 2025.

The announcement, contained in a letter dated December 11 and signed by the family spokesman, Abiodun Ogidan, stated that the meeting would take place at Bisrod Hall, GRA, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The ruling house had outlined strict guidelines for the exercise, noting that only accredited family members would be allowed into the venue. Each aspirant was to be nominated and seconded by two accredited family members, while the candidates themselves were not expected to attend the meeting. Family members were also urged to maintain peace and decorum throughout the process.

However, the ruling house later announced the postponement of the meeting in a statement issued by its Nomination Committee on Friday. The statement cited “circumstances beyond the family’s control” and said a new date would be communicated in due course.

Speaking exclusively on Sunday, the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and former National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, said the postponement followed an intervention by the Ogun State Government aimed at preventing procedural lapses that could lead to legal disputes.

Owoyemi explained that the ruling house was summoned to a meeting by the state government on Tuesday to review the steps taken so far and ensure full compliance with existing laws guiding the selection of a traditional ruler.

According to him, the intervention was intended to ensure that the process is transparent, orderly and legally sound, so as to avoid litigation or controversy after the nomination stage.

He dismissed speculations that the postponement was linked to the reported disqualification of Fuji musician, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM1, whom the ruling house was said to have declared ineligible on grounds of lineage.

“The postponement has nothing to do with any individual,” Owoyemi said. “We were invited by the state government to review the process and ensure that everything is done properly. This is to avoid legal challenges and ensure that the exercise is flawless.”

He added that the ruling house welcomed the intervention, describing it as a move that would strengthen the credibility of the process.

The Vice Chairman of the ruling house, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, also confirmed that both the ruling house and the kingmakers had been invited to a meeting with the state government on Tuesday, making it impossible to proceed with the nomination meeting as scheduled.

Prof. Yusuf disclosed that no fewer than 60 princes are currently aspiring to succeed the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

“There are certain procedural steps yet to be concluded,” Yusuf said. “The government will meet with the ruling house, the kingmakers and the Awujale Interregnum Committee on Tuesday, and that necessitated the postponement.”

He added that a new date for the nomination meeting would be announced after the meeting with the government.