OYO STATE — Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has ordered a fresh selection process for filling the vacant stool of the Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

The directive was communicated to prominent ruling houses in Ikoyi-Ile through a letter dated October 16, 2026, signed on behalf of the Oriire Local Government Chairman by William Jare Idowu.

According to a report by MouthpieceNGR, the council informed the ruling houses that the administrative process for filling the vacant traditional stool should commence afresh and be made inclusive.

The Onikoyi stool became vacant on April 7, 2022, following the death of Oba Abdulyekeen Ayinla Oladipupo IV.

The fresh selection process is reportedly linked to the absence of a certified Oyo State Government Gazette documenting the Onikoyi chieftaincy, a development that has necessitated the inclusion of the recognised ruling houses in the process.

The four major ruling houses traditionally associated with the stool are the Oladipupo, Adegun, Adesite and Ojo Atoyebi families. The new directive is expected to allow qualified candidates from the ruling houses to present themselves for consideration.

The development has generated renewed expectations among residents and traditional stakeholders in Ikoyi-Ile, who are looking forward to the emergence of a new monarch after more than four years of vacancy.

The selection process is expected to pave the way for the installation of a new Onikoyi, subject to the applicable chieftaincy laws and customary procedures of Oyo State.