The Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, has become the theatre of one of the most dramatic succession crises in recent memory. What started as a quiet dispute over who should serve as Olori-Ebi — the traditional head of the family — has now spiraled into a web of courtroom battles, backroom deals, open betrayals, and contested ancestry.

At stake is no ordinary chieftaincy. The Fusengbuwa House is the next in line to produce a candidate for the revered Awujale of Ijebuland, one of the most powerful traditional thrones in Yorubaland.

The crisis escalated on September 17, 2025, when Otunba Ajidagba Adedokun, of the Adeberu royal family, filed a lawsuit at the Ijebu-Ode High Court against Otunba Abdulateef Adebayo Owoyemi.

Adedokun, recognized as the Olori-Ebi, accused Owoyemi of impersonating the headship of the Fusengbuwa House in defiance of a subsisting judgment by Justice Asenuga of High Court II.

He alleged that Owoyemi lacked any ancestral link to Ile-Nla compound, Agunsebi — the symbolic seat of the Fusengbuwa dynasty — and in fact hailed from Ikoro-Ekiti, not Ijebu-Ode. According to him, this position was once affirmed by the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.

“Fusengbuwa Ruling House is rooted in Agunsebi Ile-Nla, Ijebu-Ode. No one can rewrite that history. Chief Lateef Owoyemi admitted before Justice Asenuga that he is from Ikoro-Ekiti. He has no claim to Fusengbuwa headship,” Adedokun declared after filing.

The suit, co-signed by Prince Adeleke Adeyemi (Olufadi family) and Prince Ademola Sonaya (Ayora/Tunwase family), underscored a united front against Owoyemi’s claim.

The Sudden Reversal – September 18, 2025

Just 24 hours later, however, the narrative flipped.

On September 18, 2025, Adedokun — the very man who had dragged Owoyemi to court — was seen in a closed-door meeting reconciling with him.

The about-face stunned the family and the wider Ijebu community. Observers whispered that it was less a reconciliation and more a strategic pact against the Folagbade descendants, led by Omoba Adebola Bamidele Adenuga.

To many, the quick reversal raised uncomfortable questions about integrity and principle in the succession race.

Reports hasit that; If Adedokun’s U-turn rattled nerves, Owoyemi’s next move outright enraged his allies.

Since, barely weeks earlier, on August 31, 2025, Owoyemi had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Otunba Adekunle Olubola Hassan’s faction, merging both groups under his leadership. Under the terms: Owoyemi was recognized as Olori-Ebi, Hassan’s group would produce the Deputy Olori-Ebi, and They would retain the post of General Secretary.

Yet by September 19, Owoyemi abandoned that pact, reconciling instead with Adedokun and flaunting the MoU as though it never existed which led to the curiosity of critics who are saying that If he could betray Hassan so quickly, who would he betray next?

Nonetheless, the betrayal drew a fiery response from Prof. Fassy Adetokunbo Yusuf, secretary of the Hassan camp and an elder from the Adeberu royal family. Who in a strongly worded letter accused Owoyemi of: Perfidy and betrayal, Running an exclusionary leadership, and Dishonouring the MoU barely weeks after signing it.

But beyond politics, Prof. Fassy used the letter to defend his lineage credentials. He reminded the ruling house that he belonged to theTunwase branch, one of the eight recognized families of the Fusengbuwa dynasty. His grievance was not just about politics, but about the erasure of authentic royal voices. He warned that unless the MoU was honored and all branches respected, the matter would head back to court.

In another development, Amid these swirling factions, the Folagbade descendants have remained firm. As direct heirs of the last Awujale, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Adenuga Folagbade, they argue that by custom and law, only they have the right to produce the next Awujale.

Their secretary, Omoba Adekunle Adenuga, went on air via NTA Ijebu Ode’s “Egbeyewo” programme, accusing the Owoyemi–Adedokun alliance of attempting to sideline Folagbade’s rightful claim. He called on government to intervene, establish an inquiry, and force all factions to present their claims openly.