Trending 
Fuji music legend King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1), legally known as Wasiu Adewale Olasunkanmi Adesanya, has formally petitioned the Ogun State Government over his alleged exclusion from the nomination process to fill the vacant Awujale of Ijebuland stool.
In a petition dated 14 January 2026 and addressed to the Ogun State Executive Council through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Adesanya challenged the conduct of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House nomination meeting. He maintained that the process was riddled with serious procedural flaws and contravened both customary practices and statutory provisions.
Through his legal team led by Wahab Shittu, SAN, Adesanya asserted that he is a recognised and qualified member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and a legitimate contender for the Awujale stool, which became vacant following the death of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.
The petition stated that the Secretary of the Ijebu-Ode Local Government convened a statutory meeting of the ruling house for 12 January 2026, in line with Ogun State chieftaincy laws and Ijebu custom. However, Adesanya and several other eligible family members were allegedly barred from attending the meeting held at Bisrod Hotel, Ijebu-Ode.
According to the petition, security operatives, including armed police officers, restricted access to the venue, allowing entry only to individuals carrying special “delegate” cards allegedly issued by a faction within the ruling house. Adesanya’s lawyers argued that the delegate system was imposed unilaterally and never agreed upon by legitimate members, amounting to deliberate disenfranchisement.
The petition included a list of more than 15 princes and princesses reportedly denied entry, alongside video evidence stored on a flash drive.
Adesanya’s legal team contended that the exercise violated Section 16(1)(f) of the Obas and Chiefs, Council of Obas and Traditional Council Law of Ogun State, 2021, which requires nominations to be made at a properly constituted meeting of the ruling house. They also cited breaches of the Awujale of Ijebuland Chieftaincy Declaration and the right to fair hearing guaranteed under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Relying on Supreme Court authorities, including Kotoye v. CBN and Longe v. FBN Plc, the petition argued that decisions taken at meetings where affected parties are deliberately excluded lack legal validity.
Adesanya urged the Ogun State Executive Council to invalidate the 12 January 2026 nomination exercise, order a fresh and inclusive process, enforce strict compliance with chieftaincy laws and customs, and prevent further exclusion of eligible members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. He warned that failure to act would compel him to seek judicial intervention.
The dispute raises the prospect of both legal and traditional contention over one of Yorubaland’s most revered royal stools, with the Awujale of Ijebuland remaining a powerful cultural and political institution in Ogun State.
