AWUJALE: RULING HOUSE CRITICIZES KWAM1 OVER PROTEST LETTER TO ABOIDUN
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu Land on Sunday criticised popular Fuji musician Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde, also known as KWAM1, over a protest letter addressed to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun. In the letter, KWAM1 alleged that he was being deliberately excluded from the ongoing selection process for the next Awujale of Ijebu Land.
Dated January 8, 2026, and written by his lawyer Dr. Wahab Shittu (SAN), the letter claimed that the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, next in line to produce the new Awujale, had issued directives inconsistent with the Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State. KWAM1 argued that these directives were intended to prevent him from contesting for the throne.
Responding to the claims, Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, dismissed the protest letter as “arrant nonsense” with no relevance to the selection process.
Speaking on Sunday, Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, described the letter as “misguided,” saying: “Either Wahab Shittu is being misled or Wasiu Ayinde is being misled. It is arrant nonsense.
The letter was addressed to the government, so they will respond accordingly. The concerns raised about the screening process are illogical. We have over 20,000 members in the ruling house—how does he expect us to manage that? What is being suggested makes no sense.”
Yusuf added that the family has scheduled the nomination meeting for aspirants to the vacant stool for Monday.
The selection process for the new Awujale, which has reportedly attracted over 60 aspirants, has drawn widespread attention, with Fuji musician Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde, also known as KWAM1, publicly expressing his interest in the throne.
The Fusengbuwa family, however, maintained that Ayinde is not a member of the ruling house and is therefore ineligible to participate in the process.
Ayinde had approached the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu-Ode, seeking an interim injunction to prevent the governor and six others from proceeding with the selection. The court dismissed the application, ruling that it lacked merit. The case was later withdrawn by Ayinde through his lawyer, with no reason provided.
Following intervention by the state government, the ruling house suspended the nomination process and subsequently restarted it.
In a new letter to the governor, Ayinde noted that the Ijebu-Ode Local Government, in a letter dated January 6, 2026 and signed by Secretary Oke Adebanjo, had authorised the ruling house to commence the selection process for the new Awujale.
He expressed surprise that while family members were preparing for a meeting, Prince Adeleye Lateef Ademuyiwa, the ruling house’s Public Relations Officer, issued a notice directing aspirants to obtain nomination forms and appear before a screening committee chaired by Prince Alhaji Mitiu Adenuga.
Ayinde added that the notice scheduled the nomination exercise for Monday, January 12, 2026, but also stated that nominations would be conducted by delegates selected at a meeting set for January 10, 2026.
KWAM1’s lawyer stated: “Our client is deeply concerned that all the directives—unrecognised by the Chieftaincy Declaration, the Obas and Chiefs Law, and the letter from the Secretary of Ijebu-Ode Local Government—were included in the ruling house’s letter to the Local Government dated January 6, 2026. It appears the leadership of the ruling house is attempting to disenfranchise members wishing to participate in the nomination of candidates for the Awujale stool.”
He added that his client viewed the directives as deliberate attempts to exclude him from the process.
“All members of the ruling house are entitled to attend this critical meeting and nominate candidates of their choice. No group within the ruling house can override the rights of members to freely participate. The attempt by certain individuals to hijack the nomination process risks creating a crisis in what should be a smooth exercise,” he said.
The lawyer emphasised that the directives on candidate screening and delegate nominations were inconsistent with both the spirit and letter of the Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State 2021. He urged that timely action be taken to safeguard the integrity of the process.
The letter further warned that attempts to preclude KWAM1 from participating would be resisted: “Our client is particularly concerned that certain elements are trying to exclude him from the process in flagrant violation of the law, and this will be opposed. We hope your intervention will ensure justice for all parties involved, including our client.”
The Awujale stool became vacant in July last year following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona at age 91, after a 65-year reign.
Efforts to obtain a response from the state government were unsuccessful, as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, had not replied to enquiries as of press time.
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