It’s Bubiade’s Turn for the Awujale’s Stool... Why History, Customary Law, and Rotational Justice Point to One Royal House
The impending succession to the revered stool of the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland has once again reopened a long-suppressed historical and legal conversation—one that many scholars, customary law experts, and Ijebu stakeholders insist can no longer be ignored. At the heart of this renewed debate is mounting evidence that the next Awujale should emerge from the Bubiade section of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, in fulfilment of an incomplete rotational cycle spanning centuries.
The Awujale institution—among the most enduring and respected traditional thrones in Yorubaland—is not governed by sentiment, political influence, or expediency. Rather, it is anchored in custom, lineage, seniority, and rotational justice, principles that have historically sustained peace and legitimacy within Ijebuland.
The Jadiara Dynasty and the Unfinished Rotation
Historical records trace the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode to Oba Jadiara, who reigned between approximately 1680 and 1695. From this monarch emerged five children—Bubiade (the firstborn), Adeberu, Adenaiya, Adelubi, and Fusengbuwa (the last-born)—whose descendants formed the backbone of what later crystallised into recognised royal lineages.
From Oba Jadiara’s progeny arose three principal royal houses:
Bubiade,
Tunwase, and
Fusengbuwa.
By established Yoruba customary practice, these houses are entitled to present candidates to the Awujale stool in rotation, a system designed to ensure equity, continuity, and stability.
Yet, despite being the senior and first-born lineage, the Bubiade Royal House has never produced an Awujale.
Historical Ascensions — And the Missing Link
Historical data shows that the Fusengbuwa lineage produced Oba Fusengbuwa, who became the 41st Awujale and reigned between 1790 and 1820. The Tunwase line later ascended the throne between 1886 and 1895.
Further records reveal that several Awujales emerged from the broader Jadiara/Fusengbuwa dynasty, including:
Oba Mekun (1712–1722)
Oba Oniyewe (1745–1750)
Oba Fesojoye (1765–1769)
Oba Tunwase (1886–1895)
Oba Adekoya (1916)
Oba Adenuga (1925–1929)
Notably, all these monarchs came from only two of the three Jadiara sub-lineages—leaving Bubiade as the sole unrepresented branch.
Observers describe this exclusion as a glaring historical anomaly that contradicts Yoruba customary succession norms. Crucially, customary law is clear: the passage of time does not extinguish an unfulfilled rotational right. What remains undone is not erased—it awaits completion.
Legal Recognition and Scholarly Validation
The Chiefs Law of 1957, particularly Section 4(2), formally recognises four ruling houses in Ijebu-Ode—Gbelegbuwa, Anikinaiya, Fusengbuwa, and Fidipote. This declaration, approved on August 25, 1959, acknowledged Fusengbuwa as a ruling house without extinguishing its internal rotational obligations.
Earlier scholarly works by Badejo Adebonojo (1947) and Tunde Oduwobi (2017) document the reigns of past Awujales and affirm the legitimacy of the Jadiara lineage, within which Bubiade occupies a central and senior position.
The 1983 Warning That Still Echoes
The legitimacy of Bubiade’s claim resurfaced prominently in June 1983, during the political crisis surrounding the attempted deposition of the immediate past Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, by the late Ogun State Governor, Chief Bisi Onabanjo.
In a widely cited intervention published in the National Concord of Wednesday, June 29, 1983, respected Ijebu prince Adeoye Odedina warned—following an earlier publication titled “It’s Not Fusengbuwa’s Turn”—that appointing another Awujale from the Fusengbuwa section would be “customarily wrong.”
Odedina argued that such an action would violate the rights of other royal lines, particularly Bubiade, insisting that the Jadiara Royal House—with Bubiade as a principal lineage—was next in line under custom.
He also debunked claims that the Bubiade line lacked male descendants, clarifying that it was Adenaiya, Bubiade’s junior brother, who died without issue. This circumstance temporarily allowed Fusengbuwa to ascend with Bubiade’s consent, not by forfeiture of rights.
The Bubiade lineage continues robustly through Adefowokan, son of Bubiade, whose descendants—Basorun, Ademosu, Olufeko, Bojela, Paseda, Asafadebo, and Asefilelo—remain fully eligible to present a candidate to the Awujale stool.
A Moment of Choice for Ijebuland
As succession discussions intensify, calls are growing louder for the Ogun State Government, kingmakers, and Ijebu elders to uphold the principles of rotational justice that have long safeguarded the integrity of the Awujale institution.
Advocates warn that disregarding Bubiade’s claim risks legal disputes, social disquiet, and reputational damage to a monarchy globally respected for order and adherence to tradition.
Recognising Bubiade’s turn, stakeholders argue, would not only correct a historic imbalance but also reaffirm Ijebuland’s commitment to fairness, inclusivity, and unity—while preventing the concentration of royal power within a single lineage.
Conclusion: Completing History, Not Rewriting It
History, customary law, and documented precedent converge on a single conclusion: the rotational process for the Awujale stool remains incomplete without the ascension of a candidate from the Bubiade Royal House.
Honouring this claim would not be an act of novelty, but of justice—a restoration of balance envisioned since the era of Oba Jadiara.
As the moment of succession approaches, Ijebu’s custodians of tradition are confronted with a defining choice: between expediency and equity, between repeating history—or finally completing it.
Mebude Obafemi
Igboro Lawa
Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State
