Ogun Reconstitutes Awujale Interregnum Council, Reaffirms Its Authority Over Ijebuland

The Ogun State Government has reconstituted the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC), reaffirming its authority to oversee the administrative and traditional affairs of Ijebuland pending the appointment and coronation of a new Awujale.

The decision follows the reported withdrawal of some members of the council, which was established by the state government in August 2025, amid disagreements over the emergence of a group known as Adele Oba Awujale.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, said the withdrawal of some members did not invalidate the council, which the government described as the only legally recognised administrative body authorised to manage the affairs of Ijebuland during the interregnum.

The government also clarified that Chief Chris Okunowo and Alhaji Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, had publicly dissociated themselves from the reported mass withdrawal.

Addressing the emergence of the Adele Oba Awujale group, the government said the body had no legal or customary recognition under the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration or existing chieftaincy legislation in Ogun State.

It explained that neither the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration nor the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021 provides for such a group or assigns it any recognised role in the management of the Awujale stool.

The government further argued that the Chiefs Law of 1957, reportedly relied upon by some former council members, was a pre-independence legislation that no longer applied to Ogun State, which has operated under its own laws since its creation in 1976.

To support its position, the government cited a consent judgment delivered by the Ogun State High Court in suit number HCJ/180/2025, involving Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, against the Executive Council of Ogun State and 16 others.

According to the statement, the judgment affirmed the legality and authority of the AIAC, whose members were parties to the suit and consented to the judgment.

The government said the court recognised the council’s authority to oversee the administrative and traditional responsibilities of Ijebu-Ode pending the appointment and coronation of a new Awujale.

It added that the judgment established that where the council’s administrative responsibilities conflict with the traditional functions of the Olisa, the authority of the administrative body would take precedence.

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

While acknowledging the right of individual members to withdraw from the council, it maintained that such decisions could not confer legal authority on another body to assume the AIAC’s responsibilities.

It consequently cautioned members of the public against conducting official transactions or administrative dealings with individuals who had withdrawn from the council in their purported capacity as members of an alternative administrative body.

The government also urged the former members to avoid actions capable of violating the law or undermining peace and stability in Ijebuland.

To ensure continuity, the state government announced the reconstitution of the council with five members:

Chief Rasheed Adesanya (Olisa of Ijebu-Ode) – Chairman
Chief Chris Okunowo (Bobasuwa) – Secretary
Professor Jide Ajayi (Jagun Aso) – Member
Chief Stephen O. Bakare (Babalaje) – Member
Chief Alade Shote (Otun Balogun) – Member

The reconstituted council is expected to continue discharging its recognised administrative and traditional responsibilities until a new Awujale is appointed and crowned.

The Ogun State Government reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law, respecting traditional institutions and ensuring a peaceful and transparent succession process for the vacant Awujale stool.