By Omoba Adebami Adefukuyo
In the well-documented traditions of Ijebuland, the conferment of the Otunba title has historically served a specific 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 custom, acknowledged by the Ijebu Royal Houses and repeatedly affirmed during the reign of the late Awujale, reflects a settled principle that Otunbas are not selected from the male Abidagba lines eligible for the throne. The tradition is neither ambiguous nor discretionary.
Further reinforcing this position is the performance of the Ilete rites. These rites, once administered, cannot be repeated. Otunbas undergo Ilete rites that are comparable in solemnity to those of Obas, and the irreversibility of these rites is precisely why an Otunba cannot later contest for 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 open 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 is, at best, tenuous. Notably, his Otunba title was conferred through the Gbelegbuwa Ruling House, a distinct royal house. This contradiction further weakens any claim of eligibility under Fusengbuwa lineage and raises serious questions about the factual basis of his assertions.
Beyond questions of lineage and custom, Otunba Kuye’s recent public record does little to inspire confidence among the people of Ijebuland. His widely noted underperformance as a member of the House of Representatives representing Somolu in Lagos State stands in stark contrast to the gravitas, moral authority, and administrative excellence historically expected of an Awujale.
It is therefore imperative that these settled traditions and facts be clearly understood by the public and respected by all stakeholders. Any attempt by external or governmental quarters to force the installation of 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 could trigger avoidable unrest and destabilisation 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. Departing from it in the selection of Otunba Kuye as the 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 from Oke Agbo Ijebu-Igbo.
