Fuji maestro K1 De Ultimate (Wasiu Ayinde Marshal) has formally declared interest in becoming the next Awujale of Ijebuland, currently vacant following the death of the late monarch.
In a letter dated December 3, addressed to the chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Agunsebi Quarters, Ijebu‑Ode, the singer affirmed he wants to be considered “in keeping with Ijebu customary law and the Ogun State Chieftaincy Laws.”
K1 described himself as a “bona fide son of the Fusengbuwa ruling house … tracing his ancestry to the Oba Jadiara lineage,” a lineage he insists qualifies him under tradition.
Beyond ancestry, K1 highlighted his decades-long service to culture, invoking over fifty years of promoting Ìjẹ̀bú, Yoruba, and Nigerian culture through music and cultural enterprise. He also referenced his national and traditional honours: his installation as Mayegun of Yorubaland in 2020; his conferment as Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) in 2022; and his 2023 chieftaincy titles — Olori Omo‑Oba Akile Ijebu and Otunba Afidipotemole of Akile Ijebu granted by the late Awujale.
K1 pledged that, if selected, he would “uphold Ìjẹ̀bú traditions, maintain dignity of the stool, promote unity, youth development, education, cultural preservation, all with humility, accessibility and loyalty to the people.”
The stool became vacant after the demise of Oba Sikiru Adetona on July 13, at age 91. The long-reigning monarch ruled since 1960, making his reign one of the longest in Nigeria. Tributes poured in from across the country, remembering him for his dedication to unity, culture, education, and development of Ìjẹ̀bú‑land.
The succession now falls to the Fusengbuwa ruling house, the lineage legally next in line. The ruling house has begun internal prayer sessions to seek spiritual guidance before starting the formal selection, attended by over 200 princes and princesses.
