Court Fast-Tracks Awujale Stool Case, Denies Bid to Halt Selection Proces

An Ogun State High Court has refused to suspend the selection process for the next Awujale of Ijebuland but has ordered a swift hearing into the legal challenges surrounding the revered stool.

Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice A. A. Omoniyi of the Ijebu-Ode Judicial Division, on Monday dismissed an application for an interim injunction filed by an aspirant, Otunba Wasiu Olasunkanmi Ayinde Adesanya Marshall.

Marshall had sought to restrain the Ogun State Government and other parties from proceeding with the selection until his substantive case was resolved. However, Justice Omoniyi ruled the injunction request “lacked merit.”

In a significant move, the court mandated an accelerated hearing of the substantive suit. The case, which alleges breaches of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law and a violation of the applicant’s right to a fair hearing in the succession process, will now commence on January 14, 2026.

The ruling allows the selection process to continue for now, but places it under the shadow of a fast-tracked legal challenge that will be decided in the coming year.