KWAM-1 And The Limit of Ambition

By Mobolaji Sanusi

“The same ambition can destroy or save, and make a patriot as it makes a knave.” – Alexander Pope.

Wasiu Ayinde Adewale Omogbolahan Anifowose otherwise addressed by his musical name, KWAM-1, is again in the news-This time for his misplaced priority of aspiring to succeed the late highly revered Oba Sikiru Adekayode Adetona as the next Awujale of Ijebuland.

His outright rejection by the royal family he’s claiming to have hailed from is causing social media buzz.Many right thinking people are now asking: What does KWAM-1 want, and why will he subject his self-touted royal ancestry to public ridicule with telling repercussions on himself and progeny? Could it be a case of pursuit of inordinate ambition or misplaced priority by KWAM-1 despite all his beyond-expectations musical success, amongst others?

To put the records straight, KWAM-1, through his Fuji music genre, has become a legend in the musical turf of Nigeria, and in parts of the world where Nigerians, particularly his Yoruba tribe members inhabit. Apart from his musical talent that is obviously blessed by God, he also has the rare privilege of musical longevity at close to seventy years when ordinarily, his peers, by historical trajectory, are expected to have been overtaken by the younger folks. He luckily at his age still bestrides the musical turfs alongside highly talented and globally blessed younger Nigerian musical talents.

KWAM-1 also has a rare privilege of playing music with political influence-thanks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who seems to have adopted him as his party’s perpetual official musician despite the musical prowess/acceptability of other top Fuji musicians in the country’s public space.

Even the founder of Fuji music genre, Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, MFR who is also fondly admired by incumbent President Tinubu and actually predicted Tinubu becoming president of the country almost twenty-five years ago in Chicago, United States, would by now be green with envy in his tomb, seeing the heights that Wasiu had taken Fuji music to. But he will be sad that Wasiu Ayinde is bereft of the spirits of gratitude and self satisfaction.

During Barrister’s lifetime, KWAM-1 adopted his name and made recorded albums as musical alter ego to Barrister. In his benefactor’s lifetime, he even pronounced himself Fuji king: Heavens did not fall. Yet, no one that sings like Wasiu Ayinde or bears his name in contemporary times dared make a recorded album. Those singing like him or adopting his name must live in his shadow for as long as he lives. The same ‘Fuji King’ is now, albeit futilely, moving away from that uninspiring Fuji leadership personality to aspire for the Awujale of Ijebuland stool.

To this aspiration, his claimed Fusengbuwa/Jadiara royal ruling house, whose turn it is to produce the next king has publicly rejected him; ostensibly with a telling effect on his future generations’ royal ancestral claims to the exalted title in Ijebuland. Consequently, he has become a man blessed with unimaginable success but devoid of self gratitude and contentment.

KWAM 1’s journey to royal public opprobrium, despite his admirable music exploits, began with his letter of intent dated December 3, 2025, and reportedly accompanied by a lineage data form that saw him erroneously stating that he’s from the Jadiara royal family, a unit of the Fusengbuwa ruling house.

The Jadiara royal family, against public expectations, openly disowned him by rejecting his purported connection to their royal ancestry. If the Fuji star was a reflective figure, no further signal is required of him to affirm his futilely unpopular decision. His inordinate stand has also been poured presidential cold water through the tweet of the Fusengbuwa rejection letter by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, a proud Ijebu man, renowned journalist of repute and President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, sometimes last week.

Onanuga, in his significant tweet, wrote: “Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu Ode, my home town, rejects Wasiu Anifowose a.k.a KWAM 1’s claim to the Awujale throne.”

The Fusengbuwa ruling house letter tweeted by Onanuga was dated December 11, 2025. It was signed by royal sons, including Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi as chairman and Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba and Professor Fassy Yusuf as deputy and vice-chairman respectively. KWAM-1 was in unequivocal terms told that their findings rebutted the musician’s claim of belonging to the Jadiara royal house cum the umbrella Fusengbuwa lineage. Needless to state that the signature of authority on Wasiu Ayinde’s form by “a purported family unit head” called Adetayo Oduneye, who was also denied by the Jadiara royal house, is null and void for having no “locus standi” to certify any lineage documents.

Otunba Akinola Odedina, chairman of Jadiara ruling house, nailed Wasiu Ayinde’s aspiration’s coffin when he reportedly said: “I can say categorically that Wasiu has no genealogical lineage to Jadiara Royal House…..” Another head of the Bubiade royal family, another unit under the Fusengbuwa ruling house, Alhaji O. B. Yusuf, also declared: “I want the general public to know that we don’t have any Anifowose from our family….”

Yet, KWAM-1 is recalcitrantly insisting that his lineage to one Adeberu branch of the Funsengbuwa ruling house and the Anifowose family of the Fidipote ruling house are unassailable. But where’s this shameful insistence taking him to? Has Wasiu Ayinde considered the fact that the Olori-Omoba Akile Ijebu title he holds is even in jeopardy with the ruling houses he laid claim to publicly insisting in writing and utterances that he has no genealogical lineage in those houses?

Through a July 5, 2023 letter signed by late Oba Sikiru Adetona, KWAM-1 was conferred with the Olori-Omoba Akile Ijebu title thereby making him head of all princes in Ijebuland. Oba Adetona’s aforementioned letter of Olori Omo Oba title conferment specifically mentioned that Wasiu Ayinde is from the Fidipote Royal Family; why the need for his current what in law is called forum shopping by this Fuji music star?

In the public domain, the popular insinuation in the public space is that but for Tinubu’s presidential influence, Wasiu Ayinde would not have clinched the coveted title. Not many have easily forgotten that he is an unbefitting Olori Omo Oba of Ijebuland title holder, who in an hooligan gesture attempted a public disgraceful conduct of stopping a moving aircraft that no one is proud of. Most Ijebus preferred their acclaimed sons with rigorous pedigree as Awujale and probably in retrospect, their revered head of princes’ title.

Wasiu Ayinde should not push his luck too far. Otherwise, he might be ancestrally demystified to the detriment of his future generations. He conquered the Fuji music scene; conquered fame, been intimate with women of admirable pulchritude; by all standards, he’s also wealthy. Today, he is also the Maiyegun of Yorubaland. But despite being a celebrity musician with strong political voice and connections, he should not allow his inordinate pursuit of the Awujale title becloud his reasoning in an Ijebuland where moguls with intimidating credentials in different spheres of human endeavours hail from.

Without education from an humble beginning; and relying on brutish struggles and raw music talent; and a family life devoid of emulation, Wasiu Ayinde succeeded the late Subomi Balogun, a prodigious banker and businessman in his lifetime as the prestigious Olori omo Oba Akile Ijebuland. As earlier stated, he also garnered unbelievable traditional titles from traditional rulers, amongst others.

As Olori Omo Oba, he’s the head of all princes in Ijebuland, and here he is every day of the week, playing successful music before fans at occasions to eke a living. In Yorubaland, musicians, no matter how successful, are perceived as ‘alagbee’—Beggars. If, as Olori Omo Oba, Wasiu still sings at occasions which is ordinarily considered denigrating enough, could it be assumed that if by default he becomes the Awujale, he’ll still continue to sing at occasions for money? No Ijebu son/daughter or any Yoruba free born will be proud to have a musician as an Awujale. If they can’t surpass the standard of late Awujale Sikiru Adetona, nothing says they should go below it.

•Sanusi, former MD/CEO of Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency is currently managing partner at AMS RELIABLE SOLICITORS.

NB: This column will be on Xmas and New Year break to return on January 10, 2026. To all my readers across the globe: Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year 2026 in advance. Thanks.