Fight Over Selection Of New Olu Of Warri As Contestant Sues Governor Ifeanyi Okowa And Others

 

Prince Harrison Jalla, has filed a law suit before a Warri High Court, praying the court to annul steps already taken so far in the processes for selection and presentation of Emiko. According to Punch, Prince Jalla, a descendant of Akengbuwa 1, the Olu of Warri who joined his ancestors in 1848 and also a member of the sole Ginuwa I Ruling House in Itsekiri kingdom, brought the legal suit pursuant to order 38 Rules 1(2) & 2 and order 39 Rule 1 of the High Court of Delta State (Civil Procedure Rules 2009.

Joined as defendants in the suit are Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, Chief Ayiri Emami, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Prince Oyoewoli Emiko, Prince Tsola Emiko, the Executive Governor of Delta, Ifeanyi Okowa, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and the State Executive Council who were listed as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th,and 7th defendants respectively.

The petitioner claims that as a member of the Olu’s Company (Otolus), he is qualified to be the Olu of Warri and has indicated his interest to participate in the selection process and has since been nominated by his immediate family and only waiting for the 1st and 2nd defendants to summon a meeting to choose a successor to the traditional stool in accordance with the customs, traditions, practice and procedure of Warri Kingdom, only for him to realise that no general meeting for that purpose was called.

He faulted the eventual choice and presentation of Prince Tsola Emiko as the Olu-designate claiming that both Prince Oyoewoli Emiko and Prince Tshola Emiko are not qualified by the tradition, culture and custom to contest for the throne of Olu of Warri.

The plaintiff, therefore sought an order of interlocutory injunction from the court to “restrain the 1st and 2nd defendants jointly or severally or their agent, servants from taking any steps, actions, conducts for the purpose of nominating, selecting or electing, screening, installing, coronating and crowning the 3rd or 4th defendant or any other person as the Olu of Warri to the exclusion of himself”.

Also sought is an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 3rd and 4th defendants from putting themselves or presenting themselves as a candidate to occupy the throne of the Olu of Warri.

The plaintiff sought for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 5th to 7th defendants from deliberating any report submitted by 1st and 2nd defendants relating to the choice of a candidate to occupy the throne of Olu of Warri pending the determination of his substantive suit.

The Olu-designate, Prince Tsola Emiko is the son of Atuwatse 11, the 19th Olu of Warri, and it is the contention of Prince Jalla in the filed documents that both Prince Oyoewoli Emiko and Prince Tshola Emiko are not qualified by their tradition, culture and custom to contest for the throne of Olu of Warri.