Indications emerged on Sunday that Fuji music icon, Otunba Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM 1), may be heading to court to establish his biological link to the Fusengbuwa Royal Family, following the rejection of his bid for the vacant Awujale of Ijebuland stool.
A source close to the musician, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that KWAM 1 is putting “finishing touches to a litigation process” to compel the ruling house to recognise his lineage and consider his application.
“Alhaji is not taking the matter lying down. He is serious about his interest in becoming the next Awujale and he thinks nobody should deny him his legal, traditional and biological identity under any circumstance. The court will determine the matter at the end of the day,” the source stated.
This development follows a forceful and detailed rejection of his candidacy by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. In an official letter dated December 11, the house declared his submitted lineage form “null, void and of no consequence,” stating that their investigations revealed no proof of his membership.
Earlier, Prince Salami Agoro-Odunsi of the Bubiade branch had, in an open letter, described KWAM 1’s declaration as a “grave affront” to Ijebu customs. He argued that the singer’s claim was a “genealogical impossibility,” citing that the musician was born in Lagos to a father of “non-royal parentage” from Ijebu-Ode and a mother from Ekiti, with no verifiable paternal link to the Fusengbuwa house.
The prince emphasized that the Awujale succession is governed by a strict rotational order and requires clear, unbroken paternal descent from the entitled house, currently the Fusengbuwa.
The potential lawsuit sets the stage for a protracted legal battle over one of Nigeria’s most prominent traditional stools, which became vacant after the passing of Oba Sikiru Adetona in July 2025. The case could test the interplay between customary law, chieftaincy declarations, and individual claims to royal ancestry.
