The 21 kingmakers of Umueribu Royal Family supported by the principal members of Otioghare family, a subfamily under the Iyerhi Ruling House of Evwreni kingdom, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, have affirmed that Oghenekevwe Owin Kumane, Eruvwedede 111, is the King of Evwreni Kingdom.
In a statement signed by the Otota of Otioghare family, Chief English Oberokpa, Ovworevwe of the family, Pa David Oshenye, the eldest man of the family, Chief Onoruese Okpako, the Otota of Umueribu Royal Family, Chief Francis Egboya and the eldest man in Evwreni kingdom, Pa Richard Okpako, said Otioghare is not a Ruling House but a subfamily under one of the three ruling Houses of Iyerhi, Eruvwedede and Edade.
The statement explained that Otioghare is the son of Iyerhi, but not the eldest, as contained in the royal gazette of the Delta State Government.
The kingmakers said the kingship of Evwreni kingdom is rotational, with the Eruvwedede ruling house taking its turn, adding that Chief S. P. Ukpebitere is only one of them and signed under the Iyerhi ruling house for the father of the present king and also for the present king.
They stated that the said S. P. Ukpebitere and his cohorts have no right whatsoever to dethrone a gazetted king who has officially been presented with a staff of office.
The kingmakers maintained that no meeting of the Otioghare family was held in Evwreni on Saturday, as claimed, stressing that the present monarch, Oghenekevwe Owin Kumane, Eruvwedede 111, is paternally and maternally from Evwreni kingdom.
To set the record straight, the kingmakers pointed out that the great grandfather, Avuriere, his son Chief Kumane, and the immediate past and the present king, all rose through the ranks and advised Chief S. P. Ukpebitere to stop feeding the public with falsehood and desist from unnecessary blackmail.
They also advised Chief S P Ukpebitere and his co-travellers to key into the peace process being championed by Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and other peace-loving sons and daughters of Evwreni kingdom and urged the state government and security agencies to bring those fanning the embers of trouble in Evwreni to book.
