On Sunday, July 13, 2025, a chapter closed in Ijebu royalty, as 91-year-old Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, passed on, after reigning for 65 years.
On Monday, the deceased monarch was buried according to Islamic injunction at his Igbeba GRA residence.
Oba Adetona, who ascended the throne on April 2, 1960, at barely 26 years of age, succeeded Oba Daniel Adesanya, Gbelegbuwa II.
He was from the Anikilaya family, one of the royal ruling houses in Ijebu Ode.
With his passage after a very successful reign and his interment on Monday, attention shifted to the Fusengbuwa ruling house, which is the next ruling house to produce the successor to the late Awujale.
It was gathered that many members of the ruling house eyeing the exalted throne have been making moves to enhance their visibility within their respective royal family.
It was gathered that the next ruling house, which is the Fusengbuwa, consists of four ruling houses: Jadiara, being the eldest followed by Fusengbuwa, Bubiade and then Tunwase.
The four royal families have the right to present candidates to contest for the Awujale’s throne as soon as the government gives the green light.
The royal families were said to have waited for this time to produce the next custodian of the Ijebu land cultural heritage.
Speaking with our correspondent on Monday after the burial of Oba Adetona, the Secretary of Tunwase ruling house and Under-Secretary of Fusengbuwa ruling house, Prince Kazeem Ahmed, confirmed that some members of the family were already warming up to start from where the late monarch left it off.
Prince Ahmed said that even before the demise of the Awujale, some members of the ruling family who had shown interest in the throne never hid their intentions.
“We have four royal houses and they are Jadiara, being the eldest followed by Fusengbuwa, Bubiade and then Tunwase.
“After the mourning of our highly revered king who has just been interred, this could be three months or more, people who have an interest in becoming the next Awujale from the four ruling houses of Fusengbuwa, Jadiara, Tunwase and Bubiade will begin to make known their intentions.
“We shall then take a look at those who have shown their intentions, check out their characters and influence in the community before we recommend them to the kingmakers.
“We have been seeing some of them showing interest before the demise of the king. Many people don’t want interregnum, so, left for me, I would suggest that maybe after we mourn the king for four months, then the floor can be declared open in preparation for the next king.
“We will have many people who will declare interest, but the family committee will prune and screen them down to a sizeable number of candidates to be presented to the kingmakers,” he said.
Another ranking chief from the palace, whose reaction was sought on the selection of the next Awujale, said it was too early to begin to talk about getting a replacement for the late monarch when the entire Ijebu land was still mourning the passage of the highly revered traditional ruler.
The palace chief who spoke anonymously to our correspondent, however, said the next Awujale would have the challenge of matching up to the exemplary leadership shown by Oba Adetona.
He added that he was sure that the system would not be allowed to throw up just anybody who would not consolidate on several developmental strides and efforts of the late monarch.
Pending the emergence of the new Awujale, the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu land, Olorogun Sunny Kuku, is to hold forth as the reagent and temporary Awujale.
He would see to the day-to-day administration of Ijebu land and help coordinate and midwife the process of emergence of the next Awujale.
