Ogun reconstitutes Awujale Interregnum Council, rejects alternative traditional body

The Ogun State Government has reconstituted the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC), insisting that it remains the only legally recognised body authorised to oversee the administrative and traditional affairs of Ijebuland pending the installation of a new Awujale.

The move comes amid an escalating disagreement between the government and some traditional chiefs over the appropriate administrative structure for managing the vacant Awujale stool following the reported withdrawal of some members of the original council.

The reconstitution was announced on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat.

Under the new arrangement, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, Chief Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, has been appointed chairman of the five-member council, while Chief Chris Okunowo, the Bobasuwa, will serve as secretary.

Other members are Professor Jide Ajayi, the Jagun Aso; Chief Stephen O. Bakare, the Babalaje; and Chief Alade Shote, the Otun Balogun.

Hamzat said the reconstitution was necessary to ensure administrative continuity in Ijebuland until the selection, appointment and coronation of a substantive Awujale.

He maintained that the withdrawal of some members of the original council, established in August 2025, did not invalidate its existence or authority.

The commissioner also rejected the emergence of an alternative traditional administrative structure known as the Adele Oba Awujale in Council, describing it as lacking legal and customary recognition.

According to him, neither the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration nor the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law 2021 recognises such a body or empowers it to administer Ijebuland during the interregnum.

The government also dismissed the alternative group’s reliance on the Chiefs Law of 1957, describing it as pre-independence legislation that no longer applies to Ogun State, which has operated under its own legal framework since its creation in 1976.

To strengthen its position, the state government cited a subsisting Ogun State High Court consent judgment in Suit No. HCJ/180/2025, involving Chief Adesanya against the Ogun State Executive Council and 16 others.

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Hamzat said the judgment affirmed the legality and authority of the AIAC, with members of the council among the parties to the case.

He further maintained that the court established that the council’s administrative authority takes precedence where its responsibilities conflict with the traditional functions of the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode.

The government said the judgment had not been appealed and remained binding on the parties.

It also disclosed that Adesanya and Okunowo had publicly dissociated themselves from the reported mass withdrawal of members, explaining their appointments to lead the reconstituted council.

However, the government’s position contrasts sharply with that of a group of traditional chiefs who reportedly resolved to dissolve the existing interregnum arrangement and establish the Adele Oba Awujale in Council.

The decision followed deliberations involving the Ilamuren, Pampa, Odi and other traditional chiefs of Ijebu-Ode, who argued that their proposed arrangement was consistent with the customs, traditions and applicable chieftaincy framework governing Ijebuland.

The chiefs reportedly maintained that the Ogun State Chiefs Law of 2021 does not expressly establish an Awujale Regency Council or prescribe a general procedure for appointing a regent during an interregnum.

They also relied on the 1957 Chiefs Law and the relevant traditional declaration to justify their position.

The proposed 14-member Adele Oba Awujale in Council was presented as an alternative traditional administrative structure intended to maintain stability and continuity in Ijebu-Ode while the selection of a new paramount ruler continues.

The competing positions have exposed a disagreement over the legal and customary authority responsible for administering Ijebuland during the transition.

While acknowledging the right of individual members to withdraw from the AIAC, the Ogun State Government insisted that such decisions could not automatically transfer the council’s responsibilities to another body.

Hamzat consequently warned members of the public, institutions and corporate organisations against conducting official transactions or administrative dealings with individuals who had withdrawn from the council while presenting themselves as representatives of an alternative administrative structure.

He also urged former members to avoid actions capable of violating existing laws, undermining traditional institutions or threatening peace across Ijebuland.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, protection of traditional institutions and a peaceful and transparent succession process.

The disagreement adds another layer of uncertainty to the transition following the death of the long-reigning Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, in July 2025, leaving Ijebuland awaiting the selection and installation of a new paramount ruler.