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 of the Lagos State House of Assembly, 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.
The family is calling 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 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 dispute has assumed an emotional dimension because, according to the petitioners, 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. The petitioners allege 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 allegation, if established, raises questions about the process through which Saliu allegedly emerged and the authority of those who participated in his selection.
The petitioners therefore call for the kingmaking body to be properly constituted before any legitimate succession process is completed.
The family 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 installed Ibrahim contrary to a Lagos state High court order dated August 13, 2026 restraining the government from the said installation.
The Okuoye Royal Family claimed that, after becoming aware of an alleged plan to install a person whom it did not recognise as its candidate, it approached the court to protect its rights and prevent a breach of peace.
According to the petition, the order was served on the relevant authorities and the Lagos State Government, however, the family alleged that despite the purported service of the order, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Rural Development proceeded to install Saliu within its office as Onise of Ise.
The allegation has heightened the anger of the petitioners, who questioned how a government institution could allegedly proceed with an action affecting a contested traditional stool while a court order was said to be subsisting.
They 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.
The Okuoye Royal Family is therefore asking the Lagos State House of Assembly to urgently investigate 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 not be recognised as the legitimate Onise of Ise on the basis of its contention that he was not its chosen candidate.
It further requested that consideration be given to Lana, whom it described as the unanimous and sole candidate of the Okuoye Ruling House, subject to all applicable legal and statutory requirements.
The petition also calls for an examination of the status of Chief Aro as the recognised and gazetted kingmaker and for the proper constitution of the kingmaking body.
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.
They warned, in effect, that failure to address the dispute could deepen divisions within the kingdom and undermine confidence in the traditional institution.
The family said it wants a peaceful resolution that will preserve the unity and stability of Ise Kingdom.
At the heart of the controversy is therefore a question that goes beyond the personality of any individual claimant: Who has the legitimate authority to determine who becomes the Onise of Ise, but the answer must begin with the ancestral structure of the royal house, the recognised branches, the proper kingmaking process and respect for the rule of law.
The family maintains that its three branches—Ogunko, Oyafunke and Esulana—must be recognised in any determination concerning succession to the stool.
It insists that Lana’s candidature should be properly considered through a lawful and transparent process.
The petition has consequently placed the Lagos State House of Assembly before a sensitive challenge: balancing the preservation of traditional institutions and customs with the requirements of modern law, due process and judicial authority.
For the people of Ise, the hope is that the dispute will not become another source of division in a community where the traditional stool should ordinarily represent unity, continuity and pride.
The royal family has therefore appealed for urgent intervention, insisting that peace can only endure where justice, transparency and respect for lawful traditional processes prevail.
It remains to be seen what steps the Lagos State House of Assembly and the relevant authorities will take in response to their petition and the allegations contained therein.
