Awujale stool: KWAM 1 hails stoppage of process

Popular Fuji musician and Olori Omooba of Ijebu land, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde, widely known as KWAM 1, has expressed support for the Ogun State Government’s decision to halt the selection process to fill the vacant stool of the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland

The Awujale’s stool has been a contentious issue since the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona in 2025

In another development on Wednesday, the Ogun State government again directed that the selection process to fill the vacant stool of the Awujale be stopped forthwith until further notice.

The government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, said that the selection process was halted due to the flood of petitions received from security agencies and other stakeholders.

Ganiyu said it had become imperative to address the issues in order to maintain public order, protect the integrity of the process, and maintain the veneration of the vacant Awujale stool.

The Ogun State Government, around December 18, 2025, halted the selection process for the vacant stool of the Awujale, citing procedural errors.

The Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, had confirmed the development, saying the earlier process was cancelled due to identified procedural errors that could potentially open the floodgates to litigation over the installation of the new Awujale.

Reacting to the latest development, Kwam1 applauded the Ogun State Government for the timely intervention in halting the ongoing Awujale selection process in the interest of peace, order and good governance, pursuant to the powers conferred under the Obas and Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State, 2021.

In a letter dated January 21, 2026, by his lawyer, Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN, the fuji maestro alleged that the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was using illegal procedures to exclude him and other eligible candidates from the race, specifically citing breaches of the Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State.

“Our client fully appreciates the historic significance, dignity and sensitivity of the Awujale stool, especially having regard to the long and distinguished reign of the immediate past Awujale, and aligns himself with the State Government’s resolve to preserve the integrity and sanctity of the institution,” Shittu stated.

He continued: “For the purpose of clarity and proper record, we wish to state that our client is a qualified and eligible contender to the Awujale stool by reason of his ancestral descent from a recognised Awujale ruling house in Ijebuland.

“Specifically, our client traces his paternal lineage who were direct descendants to FUSENGBUWA RULING HOUSE, through his forebears who were direct descendants of former Awujales of Ijebuland.

“His ancestral line flows from Princess Anifowoshe, an acknowledged princess of the ruling house, through successive generations resident in Ijebu-Ode, thereby situating our client firmly within the traditional class of persons entitled, under Ijebu customary law, to be considered for the Awujale stool.

“The genealogical history of our client’s family, as preserved by oral tradition and written records, reflects continuous recognition of his lineage as royal, with longstanding participation in the cultural, traditional and communal affairs of Ijebuland culminating in his being conferred with the historic title of Olori-Omoba of Ijebu Land.

“Our client has, at all material times, held himself out as a bona fide prince of the soil and has conducted himself in a manner befitting the heritage of the Awujale institution.

“Our client has consistently demonstrated respect for constituted authority, tradition and due process, and remains fully committed to a peaceful, lawful and transparent selection process whenever the State Government considers it appropriate for the process to recommence.”

“In this regard, we respectfully urge the Ogun State Government that, upon the resumption of the Awujale selection process, such process should be all-inclusive, transparent and fair, and should consciously eschew any act or omission capable of excluding or disenfranchising our client, who is a legitimate and qualified contender under customary law.

“It is our considered view that an inclusive process, affording all eligible contenders a level playing field, will best promote unity within Ijebuland, enhance public confidence, and further entrench the prestige and legitimacy of the Awujale stool.

“Our client remains confident in the commitment of the Ogun State Government, and your esteemed office in particular, to fairness, justice and the rule of law, and looks forward to a process that reflects these enduring values,” the statement concluded.

Recall that the selection of a new Awujale had generated considerable interest, with Ayinde, popularly called KWAM1, also declaring interest in the throne.

The Fusengbuwa family, the ruling house to produce the next Awujale, however, declared that the legendary Fuji musician was not a member of the family and therefore could not be allowed to be part of the selection process.

Ayinde had approached the state High Court sitting in Ijebu Ode, seeking an interim injunction restraining Governor Dapo Abiodun and six others from proceeding with the selection process of the new Awujale.

The court refused to grant the injunction, holding that the application lacked merit.

Ayinde, through his lawyer, however, withdrew the suit, although no tangible reason was offered.