In the well-documented traditions of Ijebuland, the conferment of the Otunba title has always served a clearly defined and respected purpose. Awujales traditionally bestow the Otunba chieftaincy on individuals drawn from female lineages or on royal descendants who, by custom and law, are ineligible to ascend the Awujale stool.
It is an honourable recognition of service and proximity to the throne, but it has never conferred succession rights.
Recorded history is unequivocal: no Otunba has ever been installed as Awujale. This unbroken tradition, acknowledged by the Ijebu Royal Houses and repeatedly affirmed during the reign of the late Awujale, reflects a settled principle that Otunbas are not drawn from the male Abidagba lines eligible for the throne. The custom is neither ambiguous nor discretionary.
Further reinforcing this position is the performance of the Ilete rites. These rites, once administered, are irreversible. Otunbas undergo Ilete rites comparable in solemnity to those of Obas, and it is precisely this finality that forecloses any later claim to the Awujale stool. While the Otunba title carries dignity and honour, it remains categorically subordinate to the status of Omo-Oba within the succession hierarchy.
Against this clear historical and customary background, Otunba Ademorin Kuye is plainly ineligible to contest for the vacant Awujale stool. He was personally conferred with the Otunba title by the late Awujale and has completed the attendant Ilete rites, thereby extinguishing any conceivable claim to the throne.
Additionally, Otunba Kuye’s asserted connection to the Fusengbuwa Ruling House appears, at best, tenuous. Notably, his Otunba title was conferred through the Gbelegbuwa Ruling House, a distinct royal lineage. This contradiction further weakens any claim of eligibility under the Fusengbuwa line and raises serious questions about the factual basis of his assertions.
Beyond issues of lineage and custom, Otunba Kuye’s recent public record does little to inspire confidence among the people of Ijebuland. His widely noted underwhelming performance as a member of the House of Representatives representing Somolu in Lagos State stands in sharp contrast to the gravitas, moral authority and administrative excellence historically expected of an Awujale.
It is therefore imperative that these settled traditions and established facts are clearly understood and respected by all stakeholders. Any attempt by external or governmental interests to impose an ineligible candidate—particularly one with weak and disputed ties to the Fusengbuwa Ruling House—would amount to a grave provocation. Such an action risks undermining the integrity of the succession process, eroding public trust and triggering avoidable unrest in Ijebuland, a land whose peace has long rested on respect for tradition, fairness and legitimacy.
Ijebuland’s history teaches that stability flows from fidelity to custom. Any departure from this path in the selection of Otunba Kuye as Awujale would not only be unlawful in spirit, but dangerously irresponsible in consequence.
— Omoba Adebami Adefukuyo writes from the United States of America, a son of Oke Agbo, Ijebu-Igbo.
