Tension Mounts in Ise Kingdom as Okuoye Royal Family Opposes Installation of Ibrahim Saliu as Onise

Tension Mounts in Ise Kingdom as Okuoye Royal Family Opposes Installation of Ibrahim Saliu as Onise

.as royal family petitions Lagos Assembly, alleges disregard for traditional succession process, court order

By Our Reporter

A fresh controversy has erupted in Ise Kingdom following the alleged installation of Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu as the Onise of Ise kingdom with members of the Okuoye Royal Family describing the development as a painful assault on their ancestral rights and a dangerous departure from the established traditional process for filling the vacant stool.

In a strongly worded petition dated August 25, 2026, addressed to the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa; representatives of the Okuoye Royal Family, who were at the Assembly complex on a peaceful protest, called for urgent intervention to prevent what they described as a potentially explosive crisis capable of threatening the peace and unity of Ise Kingdom.

The petitioners insisted that Saliu was neither their choice nor candidate for the royal stool, alleging that he is not recognised by the Okuoye Royal Family, expected to present a candidate for the stool as a member of the family and, therefore, could not have emerged through the family's traditional selection process.

Instead, the family said it had unanimously selected Barr Ekundayo Babatunde Lana, also known as Esulana, as its sole candidate for the stool.

Okuoye Royal Family called on the lawmakers  to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged installation and determine whether the action was consistent with the rule of law, any subsisting order of the court and the circumstances surrounding the purported installation and recognition of Saliu.

Among its demands is a review of the purported installation and, if found to have been carried out unlawfully or contrary to due process, its withdrawal or nullification.

The family also asked that Saliu should not be recognised as the legitimate Onise of Ise on the basis of its contention that he was not its chosen candidate.

According to the petition, the Okuoye Royal Family consists of three principal branches—Ogunko, Oyafunke and Esulana—with Lana tracing his lineage to the Esulana branch.

The family described Lana as a direct descendant of Esulana, an old Oba of Ise Kingdom and maintained that his emergence followed the established procedure of the royal family.

The petitioners, while noting that the dispute had assumed an emotional dimension, said the issue is not simply about the identity of the next traditional ruler but about the survival of a strong traditional institution and the preservation of the history and lineage of the people.

The royal family said it was particularly distressed by what it perceived as an attempt to bypass its traditional authority in determining who should occupy the stool.

It argued that the unanimous selection of Lana could not simply be displaced by an individual who, according to the family, was neither selected nor approved by it.

The petitioners appealed to the Lagos State House of Assembly to protect the traditional institution from what they described as an improper process and ensure that the rights of the three branches of the Okuoye Royal Family were respected.

Another major issue raised by the royal family concerns the composition of the kingmaking body as it alleged that Chief Aro, one of the kingmakers is currently the only recognised and gazetted kingmaker of Ise Town, who has the legal rights of selecting an oba based on the recommendation from the family gazetted to produce the next king of Ise Kingdom.

The family claimed that Chief Aro initially supported Saliu but subsequently withdrew his support after allegedly discovering that he had been misled by three persons who purportedly presented themselves as kingmakers.

The family noted that the allegation, if established, raises questions about the process through which Saliu allegedly emerged and the authority of those who participated in his selection and, therefore, called for the kingmaking body to be properly constituted before any legitimate succession process is completed.

It specifically requested that the Lekki Local Council Development Area take lawful steps to appoint four additional qualified Warrant Chiefs, thereby creating what it described as the required odd-numbered kingmaking body.

Apart from the alleged illegal appointment and purported installation of Ibrahim, the family alleged that the authorities, particularly the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs breached the law by allegedly installing Ibrahim contrary to a Lagos State High Court order dated August 13, 2026 restraining the government from the said installation.

It urged the House of Assembly to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged installation and determine whether the action was consistent with the rule of law and any subsisting order of the court, saying that it should urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding the purported installation and recognition of Saliu.

Despite the strength of its objections, the royal family stressed that it does not seek violence or confrontation, but appealed directly to the Speaker and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to intervene before the dispute deteriorates into a wider community crisis.

The petitioners said their objective was to ensure justice, due process and respect for the traditional rights of the Okuoye Royal Family.

The royal family, while reiterating the need for a peaceful resolution that will preserve the unity and stability of Ise Kingdom, warned, in effect, that failure to address the dispute could deepen divisions within the kingdom and undermine confidence in the traditional institution.