The Ogun State Government has reconstituted the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC), appointing Chief Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, as chairman and Chief Chris Okunowo as secretary.
The reconstitution is aimed at ensuring continuity in the administration of Ijebuland pending the appointment and coronation of a new Awujale of Ijebuland.
The announcement followed the reported withdrawal of some members of the council, which was established by the state government in August 2025, amid disagreements surrounding the emergence of a group reportedly known as Adele Oba Awujale.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat, the government maintained that the withdrawal of some members did not invalidate the council or affect its legal authority.
The government described the AIAC as the only legally recognised administrative body empowered to oversee the administrative and traditional affairs of Ijebuland during the period of transition.
It also clarified that Chief Chris Okunowo and Alhaji Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya had publicly distanced themselves from the reported mass withdrawal.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the Adele Oba Awujale group, the government declared that the group had no legal or customary recognition under the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration or the existing chieftaincy laws in Ogun State.
According to the government, neither the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration nor the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021 recognises the group or assigns it any responsibility in the administration of the vacant Awujale stool.
The statement further explained that the Chiefs Law of 1957, which some former council members reportedly relied upon to justify the emergence of the group, was a pre-independence legislation that no longer applied to Ogun State. It noted that the state had operated under its own laws since its creation in 1976.
The government also relied on a consent judgment delivered by the Ogun State High Court in suit number HCJ/180/2025, involving Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, against the Executive Council of Ogun State and 16 others.
According to the statement, the judgment affirmed the legality and authority of the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council as the administrative body established by the state government to manage the affairs of Ijebuland pending the appointment and coronation of a new Awujale.
It added that all members of the council were parties to the case and had consented to the judgment, which recognised the council’s authority and responsibilities.
The government further noted that the court ruled that where there was a conflict between the responsibilities of the administrative council and the traditional functions of the Olisa, the authority of the administrative body would take precedence.
It stressed that the judgment had not been appealed and remained binding on all parties involved.
While acknowledging that individual members had the right to withdraw from the council, the government insisted that such withdrawals could not give another group the legal authority to take over the responsibilities of the AIAC.
The government consequently warned members of the public against conducting official transactions or administrative dealings with individuals who had withdrawn from the council while presenting themselves as members of an alternative administrative body.
It also urged the former members to avoid actions capable of violating existing laws or threatening peace and stability in Ijebuland.
The reconstituted Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council comprises:
- Chief Rasheed Adeoye Adesanya, Olisa of Ijebu-Ode – Chairman.
- Chief Chris Okunowo, Bobasuwa – Secretary.
- Prof. Jide Ajayi, Jagun Aso – Member.
- Chief Stephen O. Bakare, Babalaje – Member.
- Chief Alade Shote, Otun Balogun – Member.
The Ogun State Government said the reconstituted council would continue to perform its legally recognised administrative and traditional responsibilities throughout the interregnum until a new Awujale is appointed and crowned.
It reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law, protecting traditional institutions and ensuring a peaceful and transparent succession process for the vacant Awujale stool in Ijebuland.
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