A Delta State High Court sitting in Warri has dismissed a high-profile chieftaincy suit (Suit No: W/112023) challenging the appointment of Chief Oma Eyewuoma as the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom.
In a judgment delivered by Justice V.O. Agboje, the court ruled that the case lacked proper legal standing and had not followed due legal process, resulting in its dismissal.
Chief Oma Eyewuoma was appointed Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom in April 2023 by the Olu of Warri, following the removal of Chief Ayiri Emami from the prestigious traditional title. In response, Chief Emami and certain members of the Ologbotsere family lineage filed a lawsuit, seeking to invalidate Eyewuoma’s appointment.
The claimants sought: a declaration that Eyewuoma’s appointment as Ologbotsere was unlawful, null, and void, citing inconsistencies with Itsekiri customs and the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict of Bendel State, 1979; An order to set aside the April 2023 appointment for allegedly violating traditional norms; A perpetual injunction restraining Chief Eyewuoma from acting or presenting himself as the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom.
Justice Agboje held that the plaintiffs failed to exhaust statutory dispute resolution procedures. According to Nigerian law governing chieftaincy matters, aggrieved parties must first submit a formal petition to the state government before initiating legal action. Since this step was skipped, the court ruled that the case was improperly instituted and therefore dismissed it.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, Mr. Amiandamen Oriakhi, legal counsel to Chief Oma Eyewuoma, stated that the judgment confirmed there was no valid case challenging his client’s position.
“The plaintiffs argued that no one should be appointed Ologbotsere during Chief Ayiri’s lifetime,” Oriakhi said. “We responded by asserting that chieftaincy titles in the Warri Kingdom are at the discretion of the monarch, who retains the authority to appoint or remove titleholders.”
He further explained that their legal team filed a preliminary objection, emphasising the failure to follow due process. “Without a prior petition to the government, the court could not lawfully entertain the case,” Oriakhi added.
The dismissal of the lawsuit effectively ends all current legal challenges against Chief Oma Eyewuoma’s appointment as Ologbotsere. The judgment reinforces the Olu of Warri’s authority over chieftaincy matters and upholds the traditional processes governing Itsekiri leadership succession.
