The Ogun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Ijebu Ode Local Government have dismissed as false reports alleging the suspension of three prominent Ijebu chiefs from the Council of Chiefs.
The denial was contained in a joint statement issued on Friday by the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, and the Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu.
The report had claimed that the Kakanfo of Ijebu land, Chief Abimbola Okenla; the Lapoekun of Ijebu land, Chief Tunde Odulaja; and the Madasa of Ijebu land, Chief Lekan Oshifeso, were suspended. However, the authorities stated that no such action had been taken or approved by any recognised traditional institution or the state government.
The statement described the report as “the handiwork of mischief makers bent on causing confusion and disharmony within Ijebu land,” stressing that chieftaincy matters are governed by established laws, customs, and due process, none of which had been initiated regarding the named chiefs.
The clarification comes amid heightened attention surrounding the ongoing selection of a new Awujale of Ijebuland following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona on July 13, 2025, after a 65-year reign. Under the traditional rotational arrangement, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House is expected to produce candidates for consideration by the kingmakers.
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The succession process has been marked by delays and controversies, including the halting of a nomination exercise in December 2025 due to procedural errors. A fresh nomination process that began on January 12, 2026, was again suspended on January 20, 2026, following petitions. On Friday, members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House staged a protest, alleging attempts to impose a candidate.
As part of interim arrangements, the state government had constituted an administrative body to manage traditional and administrative responsibilities pending the installation of a new Awujale. The body is chaired by the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu land, Chief Folorunso Kuku, with Chief Lekan Osifeso (Madasa) as secretary, alongside other traditional title holders, including some of the chiefs named in the false suspension report.
The state government and the Ijebu Ode Local Government urged calm, warning the public against spreading unverified information capable of inflaming tensions in Ijebuland.