CITIZENS COMPASS— Some legal practitioners in Ogun State have petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following an attempted plot to impose his preferred candidate for the vacant stool of Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland in Ogun State.
The practitioners who wrote the petition under the aegis of the Concerned Legal Practitioners of Ijebu Ode said it was written as a concerned collective of legal practitioners and indigenous stakeholders of Ijebu Ode.
Dated January 26, 2026, the petition with the title, “RE: Petition regarding undue political interference in the Awujale chieftaincy succession,” reads:
TO: His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria
State House, Abuja.
RE: URGENT NEED FOR PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION TO PRESERVE THE TRADITIONAL INTEGRITY OF THE AWUJALE STOOL OF IJEBU LAND
Your Excellency,
We write to you as a concerned collective of legal practitioners and indigenous stakeholders of Ijebu Ode. We find it imperative to bring to your immediate attention a developing situation that threatens the peace, sanctity, and traditional legal framework of the Awujale succession process.
The Grievance
Reports from within the community and traditional institutions indicate an escalating pattern of intimidation directed at the Kingmakers (Kingmakers of Ijebu Land). It has been alleged that the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, is actively exerting undue influence to bypass established traditional rites in favor of a specific candidate, Hon. Ademorin Kuye.
Specifically, our attention has been drawn to:
• The Misuse of Presidential Authority: Claims are being circulated that the Governor’s preferred candidate is your “anointed choice,” despite your previous clear stance of neutrality regarding traditional institutions.
• Financial Inducement: Allegations of the distribution of sums (reportedly ₦250,000 each) to various traditional heads (Agemos) to influence their support.
• Coerced Civil Unrest: The sponsoring of public demonstrations by non-traditional actors to pressure Kingmakers into subordinating their ancestral duties to executive “wishes.”
Legal and Traditional Framework
The selection of the Awujale is a traditional process governed by Customary Law and the Chiefs Law of Ogun State. It is not an extension of the political office or an appointment to be made at the discretion of the Executive Branch.
Any attempt to “politicize” the stool of the Awujale, an institution that has stood for centuries not only violates the spirit of the law but also risks igniting significant civil unrest within the Ijebu community.
Prayer for Action
While we maintain absolute neutrality regarding the candidates, we are committed to the Rule of Law. We respectfully urge your Excellency to:
1. Call Governor Dapo Abiodun to order, advising a strict adherence to the constitutional boundaries of his office regarding traditional successions.
2. Publicly reaffirm that the Presidency has no “anointed candidate,” thereby stripping political actors of the shield they are using to intimidate the Kingmakers.
3. Ensure the protection of the Kingmakers, allowing them to perform their sacred duties without fear of executive reprisal or state-sponsored harassment.
The peace of Ijebu Land is intrinsic to the stability of the Southwest and Nigeria at large. We trust in your commitment to justice and your respect for the traditional institutions that define our heritage.
Respectfully submitted,
The Concerned Legal Practitioners of Ijebu Ode
