Olu of Warri succession tussle tears Itsekiri kingdom apart

[From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba]

Tension currently pervades the Itsekiri kingdom I  Delta State over the emergence of Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu-designate.

Unlike in previous cases where differences are settled in inner circles among contenders, the divisions this time around have been blown open among the contenders and power brokers in Itsekiri, particularly the Olu’s Advisory Council headed by the Ologbotsere of Warri, Chief Ayiri Emami and the body of Princes who share influences over who becomes next Olu.

The Oracle Today learnt the crisis began when the choice of a section of the Ruling House, Prince Tsola Emiko, was disqualified by the Chief Ayiri-led Olu’s Advisory Council.

Following reports of Prince Tsola’s disqualification, Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, Head of the Royal Family, announced the suspension of Chief Ayiri as the Ologbotsere and Head of the Olu’s Advisory Council.

The suspension of Ayiri as Ologbotsere, was almost immediately dismissed by members of the Ginuwa ll Ruling House and majority of Itmakis who described the development as affront on the Itsekiri Nation.

Multiple sources in the palace revealed that Prince Tsola Emiko, son of Ikenwoli’s predecessor, Atuwatse ll, was one of the preferred choices for the throne despite his disqualification in 2015 in accordance with the customary laws regulating succession to the Olu of Warri throne.

It would be recalled that Prince Tsola was snubbed in the race to succeed his father in 2015, on account of his maternal parentage, which is also a sticking point in the present dispensation.

A chief who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed that Prince Tsola was disqualified from succeeding his father because his mother is a Yoruba.

A copy of the edict obtained by our correspondent confirmed the position of the Olu’s Advisory Council, stating that a candidate to the Olu of Warri throne must have his mother as an Itsekiri or from Edo State (Benin Kingdom).

Section 2 of the 1979 Edict, stipulates order of sequence in terms of who succeeds the king in the event of transition. It is from father to son, but if not suitable, the kingship goes to brother, uncle or grandson and if there is no grandson, it goes to other relations, that is where Prince Tsola Emiko belongs in this instance. The last Olu had two sons and brothers, no reason has been given for excluding these sets of persons eligible to the throne of the Olu of Warri, before jumping to the 5th in line of succession to pick Prince Tsola Emiko who is not eligible for consideration, which led to his disqualification in 2015. What has now changed to make Prince Tsola Emiko eligible for the position as at 2021.

Section 4 of the Edict also stipulates that for someone to qualify as potential successor to the revered throne of the Olu of Warri, when vacant, the person’s father must be an Itsekiri by birth, while his mother should also be either Itsekiri or Edo origin. ‘IFE’ is the last process of getting successor to the throne, after scaling the process of Ojoye-Isan led by the Ologbotsere.

However, the emergence of the Omoba, son of Ogiame Atuwatse II (19th Olu of Warri), has polarized the Itsekiri, despite his general acceptance.

The son of the late Olu Ikenwoli, Prince Oyowoli Emiko, and his uncle, Prince Bernard Emiko has approached the court to challenge the processes that led that to his choice as the 21st Olu of the ancient stool.

Prince Bernard Emiko, Olu Ikenwoli’s younger brother, in an affidavit supporting the suit, said that he is the Olori-Ebi (head) of Ogiame Erejuwa II (18th Olu) Ruling House.

He prayed the court to nullify the nomination and adoption of Prince Tsola Emiko as Olu-designate.

The appellant urged the court to declare the processes that threw up the Omoba as null and void, and prayed the court to stop him from performing the Ideniken and other rites that are mandatory towards his assumption of the stool of Olu of Warri.

The affidavit pleaded “an order of perpetual injunction restraining Pa Akoma Dudun (the parallel Olare-Ebi (oldest member) of the Ginuwa I Ruling House from presenting Prince Tsola Emiko to Chief Ayiri Emami (Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom).”

The affidavit also seeks to restrain members of the Olu Advisory Council, from accepting the candidacy of Prince Tsola as Omoba.

Relatedly, the embattled Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayirimi Emami, has urged Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to ignore the Coronation of Omoba Tsola Emiko as the 21st Olu of Warri, billed for Saturday August 21, “until the Court decides”.

In a letter addressed to Governor Okowa, Chief Emami stated that the call was as a result of: “The responsibility bestowed on me as the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom”.

“I want to state very emphatically, that I have no personal interest in this matter and in particular I have nothing against the person of Prince Tsola Emiko, however, in my position as the Ologbotsere of Warri kingdom and in the absence of the Olu, I owe the Itsekiri nation, the duty and obligation to uphold the tradition of the Itsekiri people as codified in the 1979 edict and ensure strict compliance to both the law and the tradition of my people.

“I wish to inform you formally, that in order to have a legal pronouncement on the controversies that have been raging concerning the successor to the Olu of Warri, I have instituted SUIT NO: W/128/2021 between CHIEF AYIRIMI EMAMI VS CHIEF AKOMA DUDUN DIMEYIN and two (2) others for the court to determine.

“As Chief Security Officer of the state, Your Excellency Sir, I urge you with all humility to ensure that existing laws are upheld.” part of the letter read.

Also, the Ologbotsere of Warri, Chief Ayirimi Emami, on Friday appeared before members of Delta State Traditional Rulers’ Council, at their secretariat in Asaba, telling the Monarchs “reasons” why they should disregard invitation for the Coronation of Omoba Tsola Emiko as the 21st Olu of Warri.

He also presented a petition to them, titled; “THE NEED TO ADHERE STRICTLY TO THE EXTANT LAW ON CORONATION OF A KING VIS-À-VIS THE AVOIDABLE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE CHOICE OF THE 21ST OLU OF WARRI”.

Though details of the meeting was still sketchy as at press time, it was scooped that the Monarchs, were disposed to brokering truce in the Olu of Warri ascension controversy, despite acknowledging that the situation is tricky.

Chief Emami told the Kings: “If members of the Delta State Traditional Rulers’ Council, allow the traditional brigandage by the cartel to subsist in Warri Kingdom, it would serve as a bad precedent, not just to the Itsekiri people, but to other kingdoms in Delta State and beyond”.