KWAM 1 petitions Ogun government, seeks nullification of Awujale nomination exercise

Wasiu Ayinde, the veteran Fuji musician, also known as KWAM 1, has petitioned the Ogun state executive council to nullify the January 12, 2026, nomination exercise for the Awujale of Ijebuland stool.

The musician alleged that he and other eligible members of the Fusengbuwa ruling house were unlawfully excluded from participating in the exercise.

The petition, submitted through his solicitors and supplementing prior complaints, claimed that at the meeting held at Bisrod Hall in Ijebu-Ode, heavily armed security personnel, including police, restricted entry to only those with special “delegate” cards issued by a faction of the ruling house.

According to the petition, the action imposed an unauthorised delegate system contrary to the direct, inclusive participation required by the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun state 2021 (Section 16(1)(f)) and the Awujale chieftaincy declaration.

“Our client is an acknowledged and eligible member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and an aspirant to the vacant stool of the Awujale of Ijebu Land,” the petition reads.

“This petition addresses the grave procedural irregularities and the unlawful exclusion of our client and other legitimate members from the nomination meeting of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House held on January 12, 2026, which actions fundamentally undermine the integrity of the selection process for the revered Awujale stool.”

The controversy follows the July 2025 passing of Sikiru Adetona after a 65-year reign, with the Fusengbuwa ruling house next in rotation to nominate candidates.

A January 6, 2026, letter from the Ijebu-Ode LGA had directed a full statutory meeting within 14 days, without reference to delegates, screening, or nomination forms.

The petitioners argued that this unilateral approach disenfranchised legitimate members and violated constitutional rights to a fair hearing under section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution, principles of natural justice, and the supreme court.

The petition includes a list of excluded individuals, including Adetayo Abayomi Oduneye, Adeyemo Ridwan Afolohunso Oduneye, M. O. Alatishe, Adetoun Oduneye, Adebambo Oduneye, Ashiru Saheed Orisanmi, Adesanya Johnson Adekunle, Adesanya Adetayo, Tunde Banjo, Orekoya Adekitan, Bolanle Ashiru, Olalekan Olubanjo, Temitope Ashiru, Saidat Ashiru, and Adebola Adesanya.

The petition declared the exercise procedurally defective, null and void, and warned of potential protracted litigation and unrest if uncorrected.