- Okuoye Royal Family petitions Lagos Assembly over the alleged installation of Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu as Onise of Ise.
- Family presents Barr. Ekundayo Babatunde Lana (Esulana) as its preferred candidate for the vacant stool.
- Petition raises concerns over kingmakers and alleged breach of a purported August 13 court order, seeking urgent government intervention.
The vacant traditional stool of Ise Kingdom has become the centre of a fresh dispute, as the Okuoye Royal Family has petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly over the alleged installation of Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu as the Onise of Ise.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the family, in a petition dated August 25, 2026, alleged that the purported installation did not follow the established traditional process for filling the vacant stool and described the development as a threat to the peace and unity of the kingdom.
Representatives of the Okuoye Royal Family reportedly submitted the petition while staging a peaceful protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The family maintained that Saliu was neither its choice nor candidate for the stool, insisting that it had unanimously selected Barrister Ekundayo Babatunde Lana, popularly known as Esulana, as its sole candidate.
According to the petition, the Okuoye Royal Family comprises three principal branches: Ogunko, Oyafunke and Esulana. The family said Lana traces his lineage to the Esulana branch and described him as a direct descendant of an earlier Oba of Ise Kingdom.
The petitioners urged the House of Assembly to investigate the circumstances surrounding Saliu’s alleged installation and determine whether the process complied with relevant laws, traditional procedures and any subsisting court order.
A major point raised by the family concerns the composition of the kingmaking body.
The petitioners alleged that Chief Aro is currently the only recognised and gazetted kingmaker of Ise Town with the legal authority to select an Oba based on the recommendation of the royal family recognised to produce the next king.
The family further alleged that Chief Aro initially supported Saliu but later withdrew his support after discovering that he had allegedly been misled by three individuals who purportedly presented themselves as kingmakers.
The royal family consequently called for the proper constitution of the kingmaking body before any succession process is concluded.
It specifically requested that the Lekki Local Council Development Area take lawful steps to appoint four additional qualified Warrant Chiefs to create what it described as the required odd-numbered kingmaking body.
Another serious allegation in the petition concerns a purported Lagos State High Court order dated August 13, 2026.
The Okuoye Royal Family claimed that the court had issued an order restraining the government from proceeding with the installation and that the order was served on relevant authorities.
The family, however, alleged that despite the purported court order, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Rural Development proceeded with the alleged installation of Saliu within its office.
The petitioners are therefore asking the House of Assembly to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged installation and determine whether any government agency acted in breach of the law or a subsisting judicial order.
The family also wants the purported installation reviewed and, if found to have been carried out contrary to due process, withdrawn or nullified.
It further urged the authorities not to recognise Saliu as the legitimate Onise of Ise, citing its position that he was not the candidate selected by the Okuoye Royal Family.
The family requested that Lana’s candidature be considered through a lawful and transparent process, subject to all applicable legal and statutory requirements.
Despite the seriousness of its allegations, the Okuoye Royal Family said it was seeking a peaceful resolution and not confrontation.
It appealed to the Speaker and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to intervene before the dispute escalates into a wider community crisis.
The petitioners maintained that their objective was to protect the traditional institution, uphold the rights of the recognised branches of the royal family and ensure that the succession process is conducted transparently.
They warned that failure to address the matter could deepen divisions within Ise Kingdom and undermine confidence in the traditional institution.
At the centre of the dispute is the question of who has the legitimate authority to determine the next Onise of Ise and whether the process leading to Saliu’s alleged installation complied with the recognised traditional and legal procedures.
The royal family insisted that the interests of the Ogunko, Oyafunke and Esulana branches must be respected in determining the succession.
The development has now placed the Lagos State House of Assembly and relevant authorities before a sensitive traditional and legal dispute, with residents expected to await the outcome of any investigation or intervention.
For the people of Ise Kingdom, the overriding expectation remains that the matter will be resolved peacefully, with due regard for tradition, justice, transparency and the rule of law.
