KWAM 1 withdraws from Awujale race, ends court challenge
By : Suliyat Tella
Date: 23 December 2025 1:37pm WAT
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Fuji music legendOtunba Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate,
Fuji music legendOtunba Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate,
Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, popularly known as KWAM 1, has formally withdrawn from the race for the Awujale of Ijebuland, bringing an end to his legal challenge against the ongoing selection process for the revered traditional stool.
KWAM 1 filed a notice of discontinuation at the Ogun State High Court on Monday, December 22, 2025, signaling his decision to step away from the contest.
The notice was submitted by his legal team, led by Dr Wahab Shittu, SAN, effectively closing a case that had drawn public attention and sparked debate within Ijebu traditional circles.
The withdrawal followed a ruling by Hon. Justice A. A. Omoniyi of High Court 3, Ijebu-Ode Judicial Division, who dismissed KWAM 1’s application for an interim injunction.
The application sought to restrain the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and other parties from continuing with the selection of a new Awujale pending the determination of the suit.
In his ruling, Justice Omoniyi held that the application for an interim injunction lacked merit.
However, the court ruled that the substantive suit could proceed and fixed January 14, 2026, for further hearing.
Despite this opening, KWAM 1 chose to discontinue the case altogether, effectively ending his bid for the throne through the courts.
KWAM 1, who holds the traditional title of Olori Omooba of Ijebuland and hails from the Fidipote Ruling House, had approached the court after the Fusengbuwa Ruling House declared him ineligible to contest for the Awujale stool.
The ruling house maintained that the Fuji icon was not a bona fide member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and therefore could not vie for the throne under its platform.
The declaration of ineligibility had generated controversy, given KWAM 1’s prominence as one of Nigeria’s most celebrated musicians and a well-known figure in Ijebu cultural life.
By filing the notice of discontinuation, KWAM 1 appears to have accepted the court’s position on the interim application and decided not to pursue the matter further.
The Awujale of Ijebuland is one of the most influential traditional rulers in Yorubaland, and the process of selecting a new monarch often attracts keen interest from both within and outside Ogun State.
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