The Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebuland has slammed Fuji legend Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM1, over a protest letter he sent to Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, alleging a plot to exclude him from the contest for the vacant Awujale throne.

 

Ayinde, through his lawyer Dr. Wahab Shittu (SAN), in a letter dated January 8, contended that directives issued by the ruling house violated the Ijebu Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State, arguing that they were intended to disenfranchise him from the selection process.

 

But on Sunday, Vice Chairman of the Fusengbuwa family, Prof. Fassy Yusuf, dismissed the petition as “arrant nonsense,” insisting that the process was lawful and inclusive.

 

“It is a misguided letter. Either Wahab Shittu is being misled or Wasiu Ayinde is being misled,” Yusuf said in a phone interview. “We have more than 20,000 members. How does he expect us to conduct an open screening without structure? What is being said is illogical.”

 

Yusuf confirmed that the family would meet on Monday to nominate aspirants for the throne. Over 60 contenders have reportedly shown interest in succeeding the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who passed away in July after a 65-year reign.

 

The Fusengbuwa family maintains that Ayinde is not a member of the ruling house and therefore ineligible, a claim the musician disputes.

 

Earlier, Ayinde approached the Ogun State High Court in Ijebu-Ode seeking an injunction to halt the selection process, but the court dismissed the suit as lacking merit. He later withdrew the case without explanation. Following intervention by the state government, the ruling house cancelled its first nomination exercise and restarted the process.

 

In his latest petition, Ayinde challenged a directive allegedly issued by the ruling house’s Public Relations Officer, Prince Adeleye Lateef Ademuyiwa, requiring aspirants to obtain nomination forms and appear before a screening committee chaired by Prince Mitiu Adenuga. He also argued that the planned selection of delegates to handle nominations contradicted approval given by the Ijebu-Ode Local Government on January 6.

 

Shittu stated: “It is a matter of deep concern to our client that illegal directives unknown to the law were included in correspondence to the Local Government. The attempt to disenfranchise members willing to participate in the process is unacceptable. Certain individuals cannot hijack the process. Any move to exclude our client will be resisted.”

 

Attempts to obtain a response from the Ogun State Government were unsuccessful, as Governor Abiodun’s media aide, Kayode Akinmade, had yet to comment at press time.