The expected peaceful end to the succession crisis that preceded the selection and crowning of Prince Tsola Emiko now Ogiame Atuwatse III as the 21st Olu of Warri nosedive today Sunday, April 16, 2023.
Chief Ayirimi Emami, the embattled Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom allegedly refused to relinquish his title and staged a walk out at the Olu’s palace, the venue for the meeting which the monarch convened and invited the entire Ologbotsere family.
Recall that in the first and second quarters of 2021 the choice of who becomes the 21st Olu of Warri following the passage of His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli became a serious issue in Itsekiri Kingdom.
At the centre of the succession crisis was Chief Ayirimi Emami, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom (the second in command and head of the Olu’s Advisory Council).
The tussle to select a consensus candidate for the throne assumed a worrisome dimension following reports that the choice of a section of the Ruling House, Prince Tsola Emiko, was reportedly disqualified by Chief Ayirimi Emami-led Olu’s Advisory Council.
However, after several interventions, the Itsekiri nation on Easter Monday, April 4, 2021, unveiled Prince Utieyinoritsetsola Emiko as the new Olu Designate at Ode Itsekiri, the ancestral home of the Itsekiris in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Chief Emami had stood his ground that the kingdom toe the line of laid down tradition for a successor to the throne according to the edict which stipulates that only a Prince whose mother is Itsekiri or Edo can be Olu of Warri.
Emami’s position was later reinforced by the Delta State Government in a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, after a meeting of the State Executive Council meeting presided by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in Asaba on Tuesday, April 20, 2021.
After weeks of controversies and heightening tension on Saturday, August 21, 2021, the coronation of Prince Tsola Emiko as the 21st Olu of Warri in Delta State went on smoothly without any reported breach of security in the Warri area.
As expected Chief Ayirimi Emami became a target of victimization after the coronation, especially on Thursday, September 2, 2021, NewsNet Nigeria gathered that the young billionaire businessman and politician ceased to be the Ologbotsere of the kingdom as the Ogiame Atuwatse III, replaced him with Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe as the Iyatsere, as well as the traditional prime minister of the kingdom.
This it was learnt followed the monarch’s commencement of revalidation of chiefs in Itsekiri kingdom at Ode-Itsekiri, the ancestral home of Itsekiri people in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
A prominent prince of Itsekiri kingdom, Prince Yemi Emiko, however, dismissed media reports insinuating that Tuesday’s dissolution of all Traditional Councils, Committees and Sub-committees by the new Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, was targeted at stripping embattled Chief Emami of his traditional title as the Ologbotsere of Warri.
Despite the dismissal the matter dragged on leading to a court case which is yet to be decided that was filed Chief Ayirimi Emami was made the Ologbotsere (traditional prime minister) of Warri by the immediate past Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli.
For two years that the matter has dragged on an indication that points to a seemingly peaceful end emerged last week Friday, April 14, 2023, Chief Emami, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom honoured the invitation of the Warri Monarch for a supposed step to peacebuilding.
It was gathered that after the meeting which lasted over four hours at the Olu’s Palace, Warri, the revered monarch invited members of the Ologbotsere family to a meeting at the Palace today Sunday, April 16 in what a dependable told this medium was initially thought to be an avenue to further deepen the peace-building process.
The source who craved anonymity and witnessed all that transpired at the meeting on Sunday afternoon said it turned out to be an ambush against Chief Emami.
“The Olu of Warri who gave a long speech narrated how he went into a trance and saw Chief Ayirimi Emami’s late father and another prominent departed chief of Itsekiri nation adding that at some point walked up to Ayiri and pulled the Ologbotsere title from him.
“In addition to other things that the Ogiame Atuwatse III narrated he later called up Chief Emami who knelt and behold the Olu stripped him of the Ologbotsere title and asked him to henceforth bear the title of his late father.
“This didn’t go well with Chief Emami who went close to the Olu of Warri and after a neck-to-neck talk between both of them that lasted for about 10 minutes, Ayirimi stood up and walked out of the king and the palace with his large followers.
“He drove straight to his residence at Ugbeji community where he brought out the original title beads for the Ologbotsere title,” said the source.
NewsNet Nigeria understands that after Chief Ayirimi Emami walked out of the palace the Olu of Warri went ahead to install a new Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom.
