KWAM 1 loses grip on Awujale stool
Fusengbuwa Ruling House Rejects KWAM 1’s Claim to Awujale Throne
Popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, has suffered a major setback in his reported ambition to ascend the Awujale of Ijebuland stool after the Fusengbuwa Ruling House formally rejected his claim to royal lineage.
Ayinde had submitted a letter of intent dated December 3, 2025, alongside a lineage data form, claiming he belonged to the Jadiara royal family, a unit of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, whose turn it is to produce the next Awujale.
However, the Jadiara royal family disowned the musician, stating categorically that he has no genealogical connection to them or the wider Fusengbuwa lineage.
Onanuga Confirms Rejection
The rejection gained national attention after the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, shared the Fusengbuwa ruling house’s position on social media.
Onanuga tweeted, “Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu Ode, my hometown, rejects Wasiu Anifowose a.k.a. KWAM 1’s claim to the Awujale throne.” The post generated widespread reactions online, effectively dispelling speculation of any presidential influence in Ayinde’s favour.
KWAM 1 is widely regarded as a close ally of President Bola Tinubu, and many had believed this relationship could sway the succession process. The public rejection, however, appears to have foreclosed such expectations.
Lineage Form Declared Null and Void
In a letter dated December 11, 2025, and signed by the Chairman of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi; his deputy, Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba; and Vice Chairman, Prof Fassy Yusuf, the family declared Ayinde’s lineage claim invalid.
The ruling house stated that its investigation found no proof linking Ayinde to the Jadiara royal family or Fusengbuwa lineage. It also faulted the certification of his form, noting it was endorsed by Adetayo Oduneye, described as a “purported family unit head” with no recognised authority.
According to the family, the form was endorsed on December 8, two days before Ayinde signed it on December 10, further raising questions about its authenticity.
“Consequently, the completed lineage form is hereby declared null, void and of no consequence. Your claim to the membership of Fusengbuwa Ruling House is rejected,” the letter stated.
Nomination Committee Speaks
The spokesperson of the Fusengbuwa Nomination Committee, Abiodun Ogidan, also dismissed Ayinde’s claim while addressing journalists in Abeokuta.
Ogidan disclosed that December 15, 2025, had been fixed for the nomination of eligible candidates, after which names would be forwarded to the kingmakers for selection and onward submission to the governor for approval.
“From all that he wrote in the lineage data form, he is definitely not one of us. The nomination forms had closed by the time he began to claim membership,” Ogidan said.
He added that Ayinde had never participated in family meetings or supported the ruling house, accusing him of attempting to “rewrite history.”
Jadiara, Bubiade, Oduneye Families Disown KWAM 1
The Chairman of the Jadiara ruling house, Otunba Akinola Odedina, also denied any connection between the royal family and the Fuji star, stating that Ayinde had failed to appear before the family to authenticate his claims.
Similarly, the head of the Bubiade royal family, Alhaji O.B. Yusuf, said neither Ayinde nor his father belonged to the family and dismissed reports that he endorsed the musician’s form.
The Oduneye family of Ijebu Ode equally denied any link, clarifying that Adetayo Oduneye, who signed the form, lacked authority to represent the family.
KWAM 1 Reacts, Insists on Royal Heritage
Responding to the controversy, Ayinde dismissed the rejection, insisting that he descended from both the Fusengbuwa and Fidipote ruling houses.
Tracing his ancestry to the Adeberu branch of Fusengbuwa and the Anifowose family of Fidipote, he maintained that his heritage qualified him to contest from either house.
“By blood, heritage and traceable ancestry, I am a lawful descendant of both royal lines,” Ayinde stated.
It is noteworthy that KWAM 1 currently holds the title of Olori-Omoba Akile Ijebu, head of all princes in Ijebuland, a chieftaincy conferred on him by the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in 2023 as a member of the Fidipote ruling house.
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