The Fusengbuwa ruling house of Ijebu Ode has dismissed claims by Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM1) that he belongs to their lineage, insisting he has no ancestral ties to the family and is therefore not eligible to contest for the vacant Awujale throne.
The family announced December 15 as the date for nominating candidates who will vie to succeed the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, whose 65-year reign ended with his passing in July. After nominations, the list will be presented to the kingmakers, who are expected to select the next monarch within seven days.
Speaking after a family meeting at Ile Nla, the spokesperson for the Fusengbuwa Nomination Committee, Abiodun Ogidan, stated that the musician’s lineage claim was thoroughly reviewed and found to be false. He noted that Ayinde’s name did not appear in the family’s genealogical records, and added that nomination forms were never issued to him because the process had already closed before his claims surfaced.
Ogidan questioned why someone with no history of participating in family activities or supporting the lineage would suddenly claim membership at such a critical time. He described the attempt as an effort to distort historical facts.
Another family within the ruling structure, the Oduneye family of Ijebu Ode, also rejected Ayinde’s claim. Representing the family, Alhaja Adesumbo Oduneye expressed shock that the lineage form submitted by the musician was signed by her half-brother, Adetayo Oduneye, whom she emphasized is neither the head of the Oduneye family nor authorized to represent them.
She stated that Ayinde has no connection to the Oduneye or Jadiara family lines, stressing that the claims linking him to the Jadiara royal house—one of the sub-units of the Fusengbuwa ruling house—are false. She added that members of the family, both within and outside Nigeria, unanimously disapproved of the claims and vowed not to allow misinformation to stand.
The lineage form filed by Ayinde was reportedly signed by Adetayo Oduneye, who claimed leadership of the Setejoye branch of the Jadiara ruling house. Ayinde had recently declared his interest in the Awujale title, maintaining that his ancestry is rooted in the Jadiara royal line.
