By
Wole Arisekola
Amid crisis in the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, a royal wind is blowing through Ijebuland, and it carries the scent of history in the making. King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM1), the Fuji music legend turned royal contender, is now the man many believe will ascend the sacred stool as the next Awujale of Ijebuland.
But the rise of KWAM1 is coming, not through an uncontested path. Rather, it emerges from a stormy palace drama in the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, where deep divisions and bruising court battles have thrown the royal line into disarray.
The shocking announcement
In a fiery declaration that rattled both palaces and parlours, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House released a thunderous statement:
“LET IT BE KNOWN to the Fusengbuwa Ruling House family, members across the globe, the people of Ijebuland, and the Ogun State Government that Otunba Monigbuwa of Ijebuland — High Chief Adedokun Ajidagba — remains the ONLY legitimate Olori-Ebi (Family Head) of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House… and NO ONE ELSE!” –Prince Adeleye L. Ademuyiwa (Fusengbuwa Ruling House Family PRO)
The message was clear — and confrontational.
Where the trouble began
This crisis traces its roots back to 2013, following the death of Prince Adebisi Adeyemi Obanlefa, the long-standing Family Head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. His passing sparked a bitter succession tussle between banking icon, the late Otunba Michael Subomi Balogun and accountant-turned-politician Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi.
The Ijebu Ode High Court soon dropped a royal bombshell: Owoyemi was not even a member of the Fusengbuwa Royal Family. The judgment leaned heavily on sworn testimony from the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who revealed Owoyemi’s roots traced back to Ikoro-Ekiti — far outside the Ijebu royal bloodline.
The stakes of Olori-Ebi power
The position of Olori-Ebi is no ceremonial role. It is the kingmaker’s seat — the one who guides the process of selecting candidates for the Awujale stool. Without a legitimate Olori-Ebi, a ruling house is like a ship without a captain, drifting at the mercy of political tides.
After the court ruling, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House unanimously crowned Otunba Adedokun Ajidagba as its head. His leadership was acknowledged by the late Awujale and embraced by all other ruling houses… until now.
The return of old ghosts
Against all expectations, two figures — Dr. Adekunle Olubola Hassan, an eye surgeon and CEO of Eye Foundation Hospitals, and the controversial Alhaji Lateef Owoyemi — resurfaced, claiming leadership of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.
Both men are tied to what they once called the Arojojoye Ruling House — a body that, according to Ijebu royal tradition, does not even exist. Their claim is now the subject of a heated legal battle.
To make matters even murkier, Owoyemi’s supporters wave a Court of Appeal judgment as their banner. But royal historians and legal experts argue there is nothing in that judgment to justify making him a parallel Family Head — especially when tradition has never allowed a non-Ijebu Ode resident, like Owoyemi from Idowa, to lead an Awujale Ruling House.
A kingdom on the brink
The Awujale Stool — the very heart of Ijebuland’s identity — is vacant. Tradition dictates that the Fusengbuwa Ruling House is next in line. Yet, with the family divided, the process threatens to drag into uncertainty, delaying the coronation of a new king.
As factions clash, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal’s (KWAM1) candidacy gains silent but powerful momentum. Some say his rise is inevitable — the perfect mix of charisma, cultural influence, and public support. Others whisper that the throne is far from secured.
The call for unity
The elders of Ijebuland, the custodians of tradition, now face a choice: let the family feud fester or step in to unite the four ruling houses — Anikinaiya, Fusengbuwa, Fidipote, and Gbelebuwa — before the kingdom’s most revered institution is tainted by endless litigation and political manipulation.
Would KWAM1 become the next Awujale of Ijebuland?
For now, the people wait. The drums of coronation are silent, but in the distance, the beat is beginning to stir.
