Olawunmi Ajibike 
Awujale Succession: Bubiade Royal Family Demands Fair Inclusion in Selection Process
The Bubiade Royal Family of Ijebu-Ode has called for fairness and recognition of its customary rights in the ongoing process to select a new Awujale, insisting that its lineage should be given the opportunity to produce the next monarch.
Speaking at a press conference, the Olori-Ebi of the Bubiade Royal Family, Alhaji Olaide Yusuf Busura, said the appeal was aimed at correcting what he described as a long-standing historical imbalance within the royal lineage connected to the Awujale stool.
Busura explained that the Bubiade lineage traces its ancestry directly to Oba Jadiara, one of the past Awujales of Ijebu-Ode. According to him, Bubiade was the first child of Oba Jadiara, while Funsegbuwa, another child of the monarch, later produced Tunwase, whose descendants have historically produced several Awujales.
He noted that historical records show that the throne within the Jadiara royal stock has largely rotated between the descendants of Funsegbuwa and Tunwase, leaving the Bubiade lineage without an opportunity to ascend the throne.
Busura listed past monarchs who emerged from the other branches, including Oba Funsegbuwa, Adesimbo Tunwase, Adekoya Eleruja, and Adenuga Folagbade, who became Awujale in 1925.
The family head argued that while the descendants of Funsegbuwa and Tunwase have produced several Awujales over the years, the Bubiade branch has never been given the opportunity to occupy the throne despite being direct descendants of Oba Jadiara.
He said the current selection process offers an opportunity to address the historical imbalance.
Busura disclosed that about eight eligible princes have emerged from the Bubiade lineage, compared to about 75 candidates from the other branches seeking the throne.
“This imbalance illustrates the fundamental issue before us. A lineage that has never been given the opportunity now faces competition from lineages that have already enjoyed repeated opportunities over the centuries,” he said
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The family also raised constitutional concerns, citing provisions of the Ogun State Chiefs Law, 2021, and warning that any interpretation excluding the Bubiade descendants from the selection process would conflict with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
Busura specifically referenced Section 42 of the Constitution, which prohibits discrimination based on circumstances of birth, arguing that excluding the Bubiade lineage would amount to discrimination.
He emphasised that in Yoruba traditional governance, kingship is not an automatic inheritance but a customary selection process among eligible princes from recognised royal lineages.
The Bubiade Royal Family therefore appealed to the Regent of Ijebu-Ode, Otunba Sunny Kuku, the kingmakers, traditional rulers across Ijebu land, and the Ijebu-Ode Local Government authorities to ensure fairness and transparency in the selection process.
Busura maintained that allowing the Bubiade lineage the opportunity to produce the next Awujale would not undermine tradition but would instead restore balance within the royal family.
“It is not a departure from tradition but a restoration of fairness within tradition,” he said.
He also urged all sons and daughters of Ijebu to uphold the principles of justice, unity, and respect for lineage in order to preserve peace and harmony in the ancient kingdom.