-
IJEBU High Chief, Prof. FASSY YUSUF Tells City People
The 90 days mourning period for the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, CFR, GCON, has come to a close. It ended on Saturday 11th October, 2025. And the Fusengbuwa Ruling House (Original) has announced its readiness to begin the succession process, in line with the 1957 Chiefs Law Declaration.
At a recent press briefing held at the Oba Adesimbo Tunwase Museum & Hall, Agunsebi, Ijebu-Ode, the group’s Coordinator, Chief Fassy Yusuf, explained that the essence of the meeting was to sensitize Stakeholders on the provisions of the law guiding the selection of a new Awujale.
He stressed that Fusengbuwa Ruling House is next in line to present candidates for the reverred Stool, based on the rotational order: Anikinlaiya, Fusengbuwa, Fidipote, and Gbelegbuwa. According to him, the law allows the nomination of one or more candidates from the ruling house at a family meeting, after which the Odis and Kingmakers will determine the successor.
Chief Yusuf also unveiled the introduction of membership registration forms to build a database of princes and princesses of the ruling house, and Expression of Interest forms for aspirants wishing to contest. While the forms are free, he noted that voluntary contributions—such as N2,000 attached to membership registration—would aid collation and administration.
The briefing was attended by Otunba Odedina Emmanuel, Oloriebi of Jadiara; Prince Adewale Jadesinmi, Oloriebi of Bubiade; Prince Bolarinde Salami, Secretary of the group; Chief G.A. Sanni, Balogun of Esugbon; and Oba Prof. Titilayo Hassan, Elesugbon of Esugbon, along with several other members of the 4 recognized branches—Jadiara, Bubiade, Tunwase, and Fusengbuwa.
A few days back City People spoke to Chief Fassy Yusuf who is a Professor of Journalism. He is an Ijebu High Chief, who is a Journalism teacher, legal practitioner, community leader and many other things rolled into one. He is a man of many parts. He is the Baagbimo of Ijebuland and he was very close to the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona.
He is from the Fusengbuwa Ruling House which will be producing the next Awujale. Although he is eminently qualified to run for the stool, he has decided to pitch his tent with Dr. Otunba Adekunle Hassan, the Founder of the Eye Foundation Hospital.
City People met with him at his Ijebu-Ode law firm and got him to talk about what the Fusengbuwa leaders are doing in their bid to select a new Awujale.
We asked him what has been happening behind the scene. How does he see the hullabaloo that followed the burial rites of the late Awujale?
“First of all, we give glory to the Almighty God that our immediate Awujale, that is Awujale Sikiru Adetona, GCON, lived a fulfilled life. He was a king among kings. And he was able to bring honour, prestige, and dignity to Obaship. “The Ijebu nation will forever be grateful to him because he was one king that would damn any demagogue”.
“He was one king that would Speak Truth to Power. He was one king adored, respected by successive presidents of this country. In fact, all governors in Ogun State gave him maximum respect, to the extent that we, his sons and subjects, his children, we are ever grateful to God that God gave us a king like Awujale Sikiru Adetona.”
“May his soul continue to rest in peace and to his honour and glory. And indeed to His glory of the almighty God. Since he left us, IJebu-Ode has continued to witness peace and accord, no rancour. Yes, he died on the 17th of July at about 7 p.m. And was buried the following day according to Muslim rites.
And that is not to say that the traditionalists, that is the Isese, were not given their rights. They were. They were mobilised by Government and they were given money to do whatever rites that were necessary.
We have the new Chieftaincy Law. It’s a law to provide for, an approved method for the selection, appointment, and recognition of Obas and others in a good state and for other related matters. The Bill was passed in 2021, but it was assented to by the Governor on 10th day of January 2022.
So, in effect, the law became operational from 11th of January 2022. So what that law is saying is that all the fetish practises should be jettisoned. And this was, what Kabiyesi Adetona masterminded and championed for over 25 years”.
Because the old way of doing things should give way to new ways. You cannot be doing something the old way and expect to get a good result, a pleasant result. You look at the archaic methods, we journalists were using those days, typewriters and all the rest.
Then we got to the stage, we were lucky, we started with compu graphics, very smelly thing, with the chemicals and all the rest, you print it out like this. Do we still use all those methods? The world has gone beyond that. So modernisation is coming.”
“And in any case, what is Culture? Culture should be dynamic. What is Tradition? It should be dynamic. They keep on evolving.”
“Some 200 years ago, slave trade was allowed. Later, slave trade was abolished. Can you embark on slave trade now? Some 200 years ago, when a king died, the Odi was buried with him.”
“Can anybody allow a son or daughter to be buried with a king now? So there were so many things that were happening in those days. In those days, the king has stepped on your wife, and therefore, your wife will have to go to the king. Can anybody do that now? This is what we are saying.”
“We are not saying we should not give on to Caesar what is Caesar’s. What we are saying is that I should have the liberty, I should have the freedom, I should have the latitude to do what my culture tells me or what my religion allows. And that is without prejudice to the other religions or other members of the society.”
“And that was exactly what we tried to do. What would be the role of these people in the burial? Would they pour water on the body? Would they put chemicals or put some leaves together? What would they do? But we said, okay, if there are certain rites you want to perform, where is the money? Take the money. Go and do whatever.”
“They were giving money, and they performed their own rituals, their own rites, but not to tamper with the body.”
“So, after the burial, we did the third day, we did the eighth day prayer, we did the fortieth day, and all the rest. I do not know if we should have still been doing other things.”
“But you remember, the President came. Many people came, the Emir of Kano and all the rest. Many dignitaries, Dangote came, the former Vice President, many governors and all the rest.”
“What is it that we want? I think we, as a people, we should continue to be grateful for what God used Awujale, Oba Sikiru, Kayode Adetona to do for us. Because it is so significant for projecting our image and representing the ideals of Omoluwabi”.
“Since the 40 days, what has been happening?
We have 4 royal houses: Anikilaya, Fusengbuwa, Fidipote and Gbelegbuwa. Within Fusengbuwa, we have 4 royal families, Jadiara, Bubiade, Tunwase and Fusengbuwa.
My family, the Fusengbuwa ruling family, championed by Ladeke Oke Ako, Oba Josiah Oshunsanmi, a retired Banker. And the late Oba Engineer Bashorun of Imoru in Ijebu. They all approached me.”
“They said the family was considering making Dr. Otunba Adekule Hassan, the Olori Ebi. And they wanted me to get Kabiyesi, to approve what they wanted to do. I approached the late Awujale. In his usually frank manner, he said, Fassy, why are they sending you to me? What stopped them from coming themselves, the Obas? Oh, so they know that you are the one that can face me. After going back and forth Kabiyesi said, I should go and bring all the kings in our royal house. In any case, I was not the only one sent, but others were foot dragging.”
“So eventually we met with Kabiyesi, I brought the 9 kings from our royal house. These kings, some of them are in Lagos State, like Langbasa, some in the Epe Division.”
“So they went to Kabiyesi, Kabiyesi now agreed that Otunba Dr. Adekunle Hassan should accept to be the Olori Ebi.”
“So eventually, Kabiyesi gave a formal recognition. The ceremony was held at Awujale’s palace. A lot has happened since then.
It is a long story.
The matter is in Court, so I cannot comment much on it. On the other hand, we thought that we should, as much as possible, reconcile the family and come together.
We had meetings with others. I said the way to go would be that he can’t continue to be the leader, since Dr. Adekunle Hassan has shown an interest to contest as Awujale.
So we signed a Memorandum with the other party. And I, that was acting for Otunba Adekunle Hassan, any time he was not around, became Deputy Olori Ebi.
And the Secretary was Prince Salami.
So it was a win-win situation. And we are trying to make progress.
And that is not to say that there are no issues. Issues are bound to happen, conflicts are bound to happen. But we have tried to resolve them as much as we can.
So that is the situation of things. But those who are interested in becoming a Awujale are already warming up. They include Otunba Dr. Adekunle Hassan, a renowned Global Ophthalmologist, and the Chairman of Eye Foundation Hospital. So that is the point at which we are.
