Traditional chiefs in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, have resolved to dissolve the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC) and replace it with the Adele Oba Awujale in Council to oversee the affairs of the town pending the emergence of a substantive monarch.
The decision was reached at a meeting involving the Ilamuren, Pampa, Odi and other traditional chiefs, who unanimously adopted a resolution directing members of the existing administrative council to step down from their positions and assume membership of the newly constituted body.
The development comes amid the prolonged transition following the death of the 91-year-old Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in July 2025.
About a month after the monarch’s death, the Ogun State Government established the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council to handle administrative and traditional responsibilities in Ijebu-Ode until a new Awujale is selected and installed.
The announcement was made in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat. The council was chaired by the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, Chief Folorunso Kuku, co-founder of EKO Hospital, Lagos.
However, in a resolution signed by the Chairman of the Adele Oba Awujale in Council, Dr Sonny Kuku, the traditional leaders said their decision to replace the existing arrangement followed a review of the traditional and statutory frameworks governing the Awujale chieftaincy institution.
According to the chiefs, the Ogun State Chiefs Law of 2021 does not expressly establish an Awujale Regency Council or prescribe a general procedure for appointing a regent during an interregnum.
They argued that the Chiefs Law, alongside the 1957 Declaration, provides a framework for recognising customary arrangements, including the traditional institution of the Adele Oba Awujale in Council.
The resolution stated that all members of the AIAC should formally relinquish their existing positions and transition into the new council.
It added that the Adele Oba Awujale in Council would assume responsibility for administering the affairs of Ijebu-Ode during the interregnum and exercise appropriate interim administrative powers in the absence of the monarch, subject to applicable laws, customs and traditions.
The 14-member council is chaired by Dr Sonny Kuku, who holds the title of Ogbeni Oja. Other members include Chief Rasheed Adesanya (Olisa), Chief O.B. Okuboyejo (Obasewa), Chief Chris Funmilola Okunowo (Bobasuwa) and Chief Professor Jide Ajayi (Jagun Aso).
Other members are Chief Oluwaranti Lekan Osifeso (Olootu Olowa), Chief Jimi Lawal (Olotu Ifore), Chief Kunle Ogunade (Apebi), Chief Mrs B.O. Osibogun (Iyalode), Chief Adegoke Balogun (Jaginrin), Chief Agboola Alausa (Balogun), Chief Abimbola Okenla (Kakanfo), Chief Adebisi Adaran (Ogbeni Odi Awujale) and Chief Ayotunde Ola Odulaja (Lapoekun).
The chiefs described the new arrangement as a traditional administrative structure intended to ensure continuity and stability in Ijebu-Ode while the process of selecting and installing a substantive Awujale continues.
They maintained that the resolution was based on the customs and longstanding cultural practices of the Ijebu people, particularly those relating to the Awujale chieftaincy institution.
The traditional leaders also said the move reflected their collective responsibility to protect the integrity of the institution during the period without a substantive monarch.
They added that the Adele Oba Awujale in Council would serve as the recognised traditional administrative body for managing Ijebu-Ode throughout the interregnum, in accordance with applicable laws, customary practices and established traditions.
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