Fuji music legend Otunba Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, popularly known as KWAM 1 or K1 De Ultimate, has formally withdrawn from the race for the Awujale of Ijebuland, effectively bringing an end to his legal challenge against the ongoing selection process for the revered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, signalling his decision to step away from the contest and discontinue all legal actions related to the succession process.
The notice was submitted by his legal team, led by Dr Wahab Shittu, SAN, thereby closing a case that had attracted significant public attention and stirred debate within Ijebu traditional and cultural 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 had 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 substantive suit.
In his ruling, Justice Omoniyi held that the application for interim relief lacked merit.
However, the court allowed the substantive suit to proceed and fixed January 14, 2026, for further hearing.
Despite this opening, KWAM 1 opted to discontinue the case entirely, effectively ending his bid for the throne through judicial intervention.
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 seek the throne under its platform.
This declaration 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 decision on the interim application and chosen not to pursue the matter further.
The Awujale of Ijebuland remains one of the most influential traditional rulers in Yorubaland, and the process of selecting a new monarch typically attracts keen interest from within and outside Ogun State, reflecting the cultural and historical importance of the stool.