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Recent commentaries, opinion pieces, and social media narratives concerning the succession to the Awujale stool have, regrettably, drifted into the realm of misinformation, conjecture, and deliberate historical distortion. Rather than enriching public understanding of Ijebu tradition, these narratives diminish it, replacing facts with speculation and scholarship with sentiment.
Such distractions neither honour Ijebu heritage nor uphold its revered customs. They reflect fear, rivalry, and a troubling disregard for the depth, complexity, and dignity of Ijebu royal history. It is therefore both timely and necessary—calmly, clearly, and without equivocation—to set the record straight.
ROYAL IDENTITY: ESTABLISHED FACT, NOT CONVENIENT FICTION
Hon. Otunba Ademorin Aliu Kuye is neither an outsider, an impostor, nor a political fabrication. He is a bona fide prince of Ijebu-Ode, a direct descendant of the Fusengbuwa Royal Dynasty, with genealogical roots that are historically documented, culturally recognised, and widely respected within Ijebu land.
Attempts to portray him as an “Odogbolu prince imposed on Ijebu-Ode” are not merely inaccurate; they reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of Ijebu royal structure. Ijebu royalty is determined by bloodline, ancestry, and royal descent—not by modern administrative boundaries, places of residence, or locations of public service.
Ijebu custom has long recognised both paternal and maternal royal lineage, particularly where such descent is verifiable, traceable, and accepted within the ruling house. To deny a legitimate prince his heritage on the basis of political discomfort or internal rivalry is itself a violation of tradition, not a defence of it.
THE FUSENGBUWA–JADIARA LINEAGE:
A LEGITIMATE AND RECOGNISED ROYAL BRANCH
Historical and genealogical records establish beyond reasonable dispute that the Jadiara / Irelu Okutuwo / Sabe lineage is a recognised and integral branch of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
From Abasi Odunsi Atomotele—whose ancestry is directly linked to Princess Jadiara of Fusengbuwa—through successive generations marked by loyalty, leadership, and service to Ijebu land, this lineage has never been in doubt among knowledgeable elders and custodians of royal history.
The contributions and leadership of the late Alhaji Fasasi Olatunji Agoro Odunsi, former Olori-Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, remain well documented and widely acknowledged within the royal family. This is not a lineage seeking to bend custom to convenience; it is one that has lived within tradition, upheld it, and defended it across generations.
CUSTOM, ROTATION, AND ELIGIBILITY:
WHAT IJEBU TRADITION ACTUALLY PROVIDES
Succession to the Awujale stool is guided by:
*Established customary law
*Historical rotation among recognised ruling houses
*Precedent, wisdom, and the conscience of the kingmakers
At no point does Ijebu custom disqualify a prince on the basis of education, professional exposure, legal training, or political experience. On the contrary, Ijebu history honours monarchs who combined royal blood with intellect, diplomacy, and leadership capacity.
To argue otherwise is to imply that competence is a liability and excellence a threat—an argument entirely alien to Ijebu greatness and historical reality.
HON. OTUNBA ADEMORIN ALIU KUYE:
A PRINCE OF DEPTH, SUBSTANCE, AND STATURE
Hon. Otunba Kuye’s standing is not sustained by propaganda but by ancestral legitimacy, personal merit, proven service, and mature leadership.
He is:
A legal practitioner of over 35 years post-call, firmly grounded in justice, order, and constitutional responsibility
A seasoned administrator and legislator with more than three decades of public and private sector experience
A Prince of Ijebu-Ode, firmly rooted in the Fusengbuwa royal lineage
A man of calm temperament, bridge-building capacity, and deep respect for culture and tradition
His professional and public service record is extensive and consequential, including:
Company Secretary, Vigilant Insurance Co. Ltd.
Principal Partner, Adekanola, Kuye & Co., Legal Practitioners
Executive Secretary, Somolu Local Government (2003–2004)
Executive Chairman, Somolu Local Government (2004–2008)
Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs (2011–2015)
Senior Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister of Labour on Arbitration (2016–2019)
Member, House of Representatives (2019–2023), Deputy Chairman, Committee on Rules & Business
Member, House of Representatives (2023–2027)
Chief Executive Officer, Fortees Development Co. Ltd.
Chief Executive Officer, Stratum Strategic Co. Ltd.
These roles span governance, law, administration, and enterprise—producing a prince with national outlook, global exposure, and deep local understanding.
NOT A STOOGE. NOT AN IMPOSTOR.
Attempts to brand Hon. Otunba Kuye as a “government-anointed candidate” follow a familiar pattern—often deployed when facts overwhelm fear.
The truth remains immutable: No government can manufacture royal blood.
No political endorsement can substitute ancestral legitimacy.
Hon. Otunba Kuye’s aspiration does not assault tradition; it represents a lawful, dignified, and legitimate expression of his right as a son of the Fusengbuwa Royal House.
A TITLE THAT SPEAKS WITH AUTHORITY
That Hon. Ademorin Aliu Kuye holds the title of Otunba Ajana of Ijebu-Ode, conferred by the late Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, GCON, Awujale of Ijebuland, is neither accidental nor decorative.
It is recognition earned through character, loyalty, and sustained service to Ijebu land. It stands as quiet but powerful testimony that those who truly understood the throne long ago recognised his place within its sacred orbit.
A WORD TO THE KINGMAKERS
The kingmakers of Ijebu-Ode are custodians of history, conscience, and tradition. This defining moment calls for calm judgment, fidelity to custom, and resistance to noise, intimidation, and emotional manipulation.
Tradition is preserved through truth and fairness—not through exclusion, distortion, or fear.
CONCLUSION
Ijebu land is too dignified to be misled by misinformation.
The Awujale stool is too sacred to be trivialised by rivalry.
Hon. Otunba Ademorin Aliu Kuye stands today as a candidate to be reckoned with—not by politics, but by lineage, competence, experience, character, and historical legitimacy.
Ijebu tradition will endure, not through distortion, but through truth.
Culled from Femi Mebude.
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