Former National President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi has cleared the air over the raging leadership controversy of the Fusengbuwa ruling house of Ijebu Ode saying emphatically that he remains the authentic head of the ruling house and not one Chief Adedokun Ajidagba.
Otunba Owoyemi declared this recently while speaking to journalists over the raging leadership tussle.
The renowned Chartered Accountant maintained that Ajidagba is nothing but an impostor laying claim to what was never his
The former ICAN President said that he remains the legitimate head of Fusengbuwa ruling house by the virtue of the Ibadan Court of Appeal judgement of 2024 which ruled in his favour and confirmed the fact that he had been the ruling house head appointed since 2013 after the death of Prince Fasasi Adeyemi
He stated that in 2011 he was appointed as the Deputy to the then head of the family, Prince Fasasi Adeyemi and by 2013 he was appointed as the Olori Ebi after the death of Adeyemi.
Owoyemi explained that after his appointment as the Olori Ebi of Fusengbuwa in March 2013, some splinter group had also appointed the late billionaire banker and founder of First City Monument Bank, Otunba Subomi Balogun as the head of the same family.
He stated that he had challenged this anomaly at an High Court sitting at Ijebu Ode and that while giving his judgement in 2018 Justice Asenuga resolved two of the issues brought before the court in his favour but failed to declare him as the Olori Ebi of Fusengbuwa.
Owoyemi explained that in pursuit of justice "I approached the Court of Appeal sitting at Ibadan and on November 28, 2024, in a judgement delivered by Justice Binta Fatima Zubairu resolved all the seven issues brought before the court in my favour"
In a Certified True Copy of the judgement which was made available to journalists, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal agreed that the defendants failed to prove the allegation of fraud upon which the High Court of Ijebu Ode in 2018 had failed to recognize Owoyemi as the duly appointed head of the ruling family.
Explaining further, Owoyemi said that according to a letter dated 22nd of November, 2023 and sent to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ogun State, Ajidagba was appointed as the acting head of the ruling house pending the determination of the suit he filed against the 2018 court judgement.
He disclosed that "As the Almighty God will have it, the Appeal Court upheld all my pleas affirming my leadership of the ruling house since 2013"
Owoyemi revealed further that having been confronted with this immutable truth as dispensed by the the Ibadan Court of Appeal, the other part of the ruling house being led formerly by the renowned Opthalmologist and founder of Eye Foundation Hospital, Dr Kunle Hassan after dialogue submitted to the decision of the court on Sunday, August 31, 2025 affirming his leadership of the ruling house.
The renowned accountant said that even the late Awujale, Oba Adetona before his demise called him back to the palace in February 2025 to mend fences with him urging him to keep in touch constantly as one of the senior title holders in his government and trusted allies
He added that he remains a bonafide son of Ijebu land from Idowa Ijebu and that past attempts to distort history had been quashed by the November 2024 Ibadan Court of Appeal judgement
The Octogenarian urged every member of the ruling house to shun division, strife and avarice but cooperate with the leadership of the family for a rancour-free selection process for the next Awujale.
Owoyemi while speaking on some crack within the family extended olive branch to everyone urging them to shield their sword and join forces with the leadership of the family to produce the best ever Awujale in the history of Ijebu and Yoruba land as a whole.
He explained that "we have always been talking to everyone to be one accord, we are even ready to make concession as long as it is not injurious or unreasonable for the sake of peace because we are all from same mother, so why should there be strive and unnecessary wranglings?"
Prince Adedokun Ajidagba had in a briefing rejected Owoyemi as the head of the ruling house, insisting that he remains the authentic Olori-Ebi, backed by both court rulings and family endorsements.
The oil and gas magnate said that the Ibadan Court of Appeal judgement of 2024 never at anytime pronounced Owoyemi as the head of Fusengbuwa ruling house.
He said that the appeal was filled by himself, Owoyemi, and Prince Adeleke Adeyemi Olufadi on behalf of the Fusengbuwa ruling house.
The retired court registrar stated that Owoyemi can never be the head of the ruling house because he is not a member of the family because his roots is from Ikoro Ekiti as confirmed by the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona.
Ajidagba explained that the appellate court ruling favoured the Fusengbuwa family, after which he subsequently emerged as Olori-Ebi with the endorsement of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba S.K. Adetona, and formal certification from the Ijebu-Ode Local Government.
He explained further that "How can Owoyemi who was exposed by the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona to have come from Ikoro Ekiti in Ekiti State become the Olori Ebi of Fusengbuwa ruling house?
"His root is from Ikoro Ekiti, he has no ties with the ruling house and he could not have been the head of the family. I am the authentic head of the family.
“After the appellate court’s ruling, the late Awujale personally endorsed me, and I was issued a certificate of endorsement by the local government affirming my position.
"Since then, I have been functioning as Olori-Ebi of the Fusengbuwa family. It is shocking to see a video circulating on social media of Owoyemi being endorsed by people who are not even members of our ruling house,” he said.
Ajidagba further stressed that the Fusengbuwa ruling house comprises eight units, which are; Osinuga, Adekenu, Olufadi, Adesimbo-Tunwase, Adebiyi, Adeberu, Shenowo, and Okuyadewu
He alleged that those backing Owoyemi were outsiders, insisting that the former ICAN boss had questionable ancestral ties to Ijebu-Ode.
“I am a true son of the soil. Someone from Idowa, with roots traced to Ikoro-Ekiti, cannot suddenly become Olori-Ebi in Ijebu-Ode,” he maintained.
Otunba Owoyemi however faulted Ajidagba's claim describing them as nothing but outright falsehood and an attempt to misinform the general public.
He insisted that the November 28 Ibadan Court of Appeal judgement had since restored his leadership of Fusengbuwa ruling house and that the appointment of Ajidagba as the Olori Ebi in November 2023 was in acting capacity pending the determination of the suit at the Court of Appeal which eventually ruled in his favour and granted him all the seven prayers.
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