Fuji star KWAM1 asks Ogun governor Dapo Abiodun to cancel the Awujale of Ijebu selection process over alleged violations of chieftaincy laws
Popular Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, widely known as KWAM1, has again called on Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun to halt the ongoing selection process for the next Awujale of Ijebu, warning that the exercise could trigger prolonged legal battles.
Also read: KWAM1 questions fairness of Fusengbuwa Awujale selection
In a letter dated January 14, 2026, and written through his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, Ayinde urged the governor to cancel what he described as a second, flawed selection process, saying it risks becoming “a fertile ground for protracted litigation.”
Specifically, the musician asked the governor to declare the January 12, 2026, nomination meeting conducted by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House as null and void, alleging that it violated the Ogun State Obas and Chiefs Law, 2021.
Ayinde had earlier approached the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu Ode, seeking an interim injunction to stop the governor and six others from proceeding with the selection.
The court, however, declined to grant the application, ruling that it lacked merit. The suit was subsequently withdrawn by Ayinde, though no official reason was disclosed.
Reacting to the nomination exercise, KWAM1 criticised what he described as the imposition of a “delegate system”, which he said led to the exclusion of several eligible members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
According to the letter, following the death of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was constitutionally next to present candidates for the revered throne.
Ayinde disclosed that the Secretary of Ijebu Ode Local Government, in a letter dated January 6, 2026, instructed members of the ruling house to convene a statutory meeting to nominate candidates, in line with customary law and Ogun State chieftaincy regulations.
However, he alleged that during the nomination meeting held on January 12, 2026, at Bisrod Hotel, Ijebu Ode, he and several other eligible members were deliberately barred from participating.
“Heavily armed security personnel, including the Nigerian Police, were stationed at the venue and used to disenfranchise legitimate members,” the letter stated, adding that entry was restricted to selected “delegates” issued special cards by a faction within the ruling house.
Ayinde argued that the delegate arrangement was unilaterally introduced without consensus and undermined the statutory requirement for an open and inclusive nomination process.
He maintained that the exclusion of eligible members amounted to an arbitrary and ultra vires exercise of authority, rendering the nomination process unlawful.
“The purported nomination exercise conducted on January 12, 2026, without the full and free participation of all eligible members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House is procedurally defective, unlawful, and consequently null and void,” Ayinde stated.
He urged Governor Abiodun, in the interest of peace and the preservation of traditional institutions, to invalidate the exercise and order a fresh, transparent, and inclusive nomination process.
Reacting to the development, the Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, confirmed receipt of the letter but dismissed it as “arrant nonsense and misguided,” insisting it would not affect the ongoing selection process.
Also read: KWAM1 withdraws suit over Awujale installation
Efforts to obtain the government’s reaction were unsuccessful, as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, did not respond to calls or messages as of press time.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
