Ijebu Chiefs Sue Abiodun Interregnum Council: Challenge Legality

• The Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council has sued Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun over the establishment of an interregnum administrative council.
• The lawsuit, filed on November 5, 2026, challenges the Governor's authority to displace the traditional Adele system during the period following the late Awujale's death.
• Plaintiffs argue the Governor's Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council is alien to Ijebu customary law and inconsistent with the Ogun State Chiefs Law.
• They seek declarations that the Adele system is the sole legitimate authority and injunctions to prevent governmental interference.
• The case could set a significant precedent regarding state powers versus customary law in chieftaincy matters.

This legal action directly challenges the Ogun State Governor's authority to establish or reconstitute administrative councils during a traditional interregnum, potentially setting a significant precedent on the interpretation of customary law versus state powers in chieftaincy matters.

A significant legal battle has commenced in Ijebu-Ode, as the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council has initiated a lawsuit against Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and several other parties. The core of the dispute revolves around the Governor's establishment and subsequent reconstitution of the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC), which the plaintiffs contend is an unlawful attempt to usurp the established traditional administrative structure of Ijebuland.

The suit, filed on November 5, 2026, and designated HCJ/201/2026 at the state High Court in Ijebu-Ode, names the Governor, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as primary defendants. Additionally, specific members of the reconstituted AIAC — High Chief Rasheed Adesanya (Olisa of Ijebu-Ode), Chief Chris Okunowo (Bobasuwa), Prof. Jide Ajayi (Jagun Aso), Chief Stephen Bakare (Babalaje), and Chief Alade Shote (Otun Balogun) — are also listed as defendants. This Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council lawsuit seeks to clarify the legitimate authority during the period following the passing of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.

The nine-member Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council, led by Dr. Sonny Kuku, who holds the titles of Adele and Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, asserts that the Adele system represents the sole legitimate traditional administrative authority. They argue that this system is recognized by the native law, customs, and ancestral practices of the Ijebu people for managing affairs during the interregnum between the reigns of successive Awujales. Their challenge specifically targets the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council, describing its formation and reconstitution as alien to Ijebu customary law and fundamentally inconsistent with the provisions of the Ogun State Chiefs Law.

The plaintiffs are seeking a judicial declaration affirming that neither the Governor nor any other relevant government authority possesses the power to create or reconstitute an administrative council that would displace the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council during such an interim period. They further request that the court set aside the purported reconstitution of the AIAC and the appointments of its members, labeling these actions as irregular, illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void. This legal action directly challenges the Ogun State Governor's authority to establish or reconstitute administrative councils during a traditional interregnum, potentially setting a significant precedent on the interpretation of customary law versus state powers in chieftaincy matters.

Beyond the immediate context of Ijebuland, this chieftaincy dispute carries substantial implications for the broader framework of traditional governance and the limits of state intervention in customary affairs. The Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council is seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain the Governor, relevant ministries, and other government officials from interfering with or bypassing their customary administrative functions. This aims to safeguard the traditional administrative structure Ijebuland has historically observed.

Furthermore, the plaintiffs are requesting a court order to prevent the reconstituted Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council from holding meetings, presenting themselves as authorities, or exercising any traditional, civil, or financial administrative power over Ijebu-Ode under the disputed arrangement. This Ogun State Chiefs Law challenge highlights a critical tension between modern governmental powers and deeply rooted traditional practices, making it a case that lawyers advising traditional institutions or government bodies on succession and administrative structures should closely monitor for its implications on legal recognition of customary practices and the limits of gubernatorial intervention.

This lawsuit challenges the Ogun State Governor's authority to establish or reconstitute administrative councils during a traditional interregnum, potentially setting a significant precedent on the interpretation of customary law versus state powers in chieftaincy matters. Lawyers advising traditional institutions or government bodies on succession and administrative structures should closely monitor this case for its implications on legal recognition of customary practices and the limits of gubernatorial intervention.

Source: Original reporting via PUNCH